


The Dance of the Stars

by blackwolf667



Series: Star Vs the Forces of Evil AU-Signverse [2]
Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Adventure, Coming of Age, Drama, F/M, Post season 3a, Romance, alternative universe, would tag other characters but I care about spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:15:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26625037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackwolf667/pseuds/blackwolf667
Summary: It has been two years since Star and Marco answered the Blood Moon's call and saved Mewni from Eclipsa's schemes, but the adventure is far from over. Now, they must forge a new legacy as Mewni's rulers while facing great challenges, battling dangerous enemies, and unraveling even more mysteries of the Blood Moon.
Relationships: Chloe/Jackie Lynn Thomas, Star Butterfly/Marco Diaz, Tom Lucitor/Janna Ordonia
Series: Star Vs the Forces of Evil AU-Signverse [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1231517
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all, welcome to the sequel to "The Sign of the Moon." This story was originally posted on my ff.net account, but it will be edited and posted both there and here. Updates should be rather frequent (like once a week or so). Enjoy!

The night was full of stars, clinging to both the sky and the ground, to the clear darkness and to the frozen blades of grass that stubbornly peeked through the snow. Most Mewmans and Monsters detested frost, blaming it for the wilting crops that died in winter fields and the slippery roads that made travel treacherous after a hard freeze. They preferred to stay inside their homes during the long nights, keeping their windows and doors shut until the weak rays of the morning sun brought just a touch of warmth to Mewni, enough to soften the frost’s bite and loosen the soil for tending. But once the darkness returned, somewhere around two o’clock, drawing the sun to its premature rest, life in the towns wound down for early supper, then second supper later in the evening, and then bed at moonrise. By the time the winter constellations appeared, there was no one to appreciate their beauty.

_Such a shame_ , Queen Star sighed, watching a cloud of her breath fade into the sky, joining her dazzling namesakes who danced for her blue eyes alone. They put the jewels in her own crown to shame, with reds, greens, and blues more vibrant than any stone faceted by a mortal craftsman. If only her people abandoned their superstitions about winter and stayed out late to see them. If only they knew what she did—that the night was a blessing, not a curse. Her pink rhino boots crunched on the ice as she paced about. She checked the time on her mirror phone once more. _C’mon Pony, I haven’t gotten all night to wait_ , she huffed, trying to keep herself from freezing in the meadow. Her cascading blonde hair pooled around the collar of her coat, warming her neck, but the cold was starting to set in. Part of her wanted to return to Butterfly Castle, which loomed over the secret place like a rounded mountain, towering over the snow-covered evergreens. Even from miles away, she spied the pink mushroom-domed roofs and the royal blue banners that waved stiffly, weighed down by icicles. If she went back now, there would be a roaring fire to greet her in the hall and servants bearing goblets of mulled wine. She salivated at the thought of the wine, tasting the pungent sharpness of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, but no matter how appealing the warmth seemed, she refused to return.

Going home meant losing herself and becoming the Queen of Mewni again. In the two years since her mother’s death, Star relied on long nights to give her relief from her stressful and busy life as one of the youngest queens in the dimension’s history. It was a heavy and burdensome task to bear at only seventeen years old, an age when Earth teens were still considered children and attended high school. Although she bore it well—well enough—she sometimes yearned for the lazy, sunny days at Echo Creek, where she, Marco, and their friends were carefree youngsters, not battle-hardened rulers. But those days had long passed, and now the nighttime, amidst the diffuse shadows and glittery snow, provided the last refuge for the young queen.

At last, the mirror phone vibrated in her pink winter coat, and Star saw her friend’s floating face flicker on the screen. “About time,” she grumbled. “I thought you were leaving me out here to freeze to death.”

Pony Head rolled her eyes. “Well, just because you’re, like, the queen and stuff doesn’t mean the rest of us aren’t busy. I’ve got mad stuff to do.”

“Oh? Like what, dear princess?” Star asked.

Something shattered in the background, and Star noticed a young blue seahorse scrambling out of Pony Head’s pink bedroom. Instead of bolting for the door, he jumped out the window, which instantly proved to be a mistake.

Both Star and Pony Head winced when Seahorse hit the ground, though luckily for him, the Pony Heads lived among fluffy clouds.

“Busy doing stuff, huh?” Star teased once silence returned.

“Don’t act all innocent, girl,” Pony Head snorted. “I’ve seen Turd’s ass a few times on call.”

“It’s different though. Marco and I are married.”

“It’s not _that_ different.”

“If you say so,” Star said. “Anyways, who else is coming?”

“Kelly’s definitely in and maybe the Earth Crew. I heard Jackie’s bringing Chloe too.”

“Aww, that’s adorable,” Star gushed, thinking of the couple.

They met the summer after the great Battle of Butterfly Castle when Jackie went to France as a part of a foreign exchange program. It was nice seeing her move on after her failed relationship with Marco, who was now Mewni’s king and Star’s husband of two years. Star remembered the first time Chloe came to visit and the shock on her face upon discovering the magical kingdom and the amazing creatures who called it home. But that was a perk of dating the Mewni-Earth ambassador.

“Yeah, but it ruins the whole ‘Singles Only’ thing,” Pony Head protested with a pout.

“Not really,” Star countered. “Only you and Kelly are actually single. Janna’s with Tom. Plus, if you’re counting marital status, then I should stay home.”

“Nah, girl, you’re the life of the party. I could never exclude you. Anyways, enough talking—let’s go get our groove on! You go ahead and get us a good spot at the Mosh Pit, I’ll wait for the others.”

“Alrighty, see ya then.”

Star quickly opened a portal to the Waterfolk Kingdom, the center of revelry and debauchery hidden under the Great Sea to the west of Mewni. No other place had more clubs, brothels, and bars than the Red District, the air dome just to the east of Kelpbottom Castle. It hummed with chaotic energy and it was hard not to get a little tipsy from the alcohol heavy in the air. Star knew each club just by the particular blend of drinks they carried alone. But under the glitz, glam, and dubstep, she also knew the kingdom’s darker side: the foul treatment of sex workers, the violent mobs who ruled the streets with an iron fist, and the black markets full of drugs, poached animals, and slaves. Things best not to think about while out on the town. _But I will discuss that crime bill with King Kelpbottom tomorrow_ , she noted while watching a group of young males collude in an alley. She trusted the Kelpbottoms, who prefered to run their own affairs, to enforce stiffer penalties against sex traffickers and organized crime, but they seemed to have done little—if anything.

Tonight, the Mosh Pit was packed with beings from all over the dimension, crowding the bar and the areas near the stage. Demons drank strong whiskey and put curses on passersby for fun, Monsters danced in groups on the rainbow floor to nautical rock music played by the band, and a collection of Mewmans, Waterfolk, and Pony Heads gathered to eat, chat, and party. Star noticed their distance from the Monsters and shook her head. _Baby steps_ , she sighed, reminding herself that they still had a long way to go despite her reforms ending Mewman-Monster segregation.

She scoured the bar for a seat and motioned for the bartender to serve her. A few patrons gawked when she sat among them, but most kept to themselves. Star preferred it this way. There was no need for pageantry in a bar. She shed her coat and sweatpants with a snap of her fingers, revealing the white, off-the-shoulder T-shirt, red denim shorts, and black leggings she wore underneath.

The bartender, a young male, about twenty or so, whistled. “So, what may I do for you this _fine_ evening?”

Star ignored the hopefulness in his tone—he seemed new. “Hit me up with a round of Dancin’ Demon, on the rocks,” she said flatly.

“As you wish, Your Majesty,” he said and winked.

He poured the smoking blood-red whiskey into a glass and slid it her way. Star caught it with her left hand and took a swig—the universal sign that she was a married woman and not interested. It gave the bartender a chance to study her rings: the wedding band from the Prince’s Ball, which contained a miniature star made of Mewnian sapphire, and her actual wedding ring, made of gold and sparkling diamonds. Marco always wanted an Earth wedding, especially after the Prince’s Ball, and shortly after they both turned sixteen, they had a small ceremony at a chapel near Echo Creek. The bartender’s face fell, and he stalked away to chat with a group of girls who had just sat down. Everyone on Mewni knew Star was happily married to her king, but many hoped that she’d follow the older tradition of taking a few lovers, something the past queens used to do to supplement their miserable marriages. The practice, however, fell out of favor with Queen Moon, and Star had no interest in bringing it back.

“Dang, B-Fly, you must have some serious magic if you can still work over boys,” Pony Head’s laughter cut through the crowd, and Star turned to see her friends emerging through a portal.

“Yeah, girl, give me some of your luck,” Kelly said ruefully, taking a seat next to Star. “I haven’t had any dating success since Tad.”

“Honestly, it’s a blessing and a curse,” Star replied. “No need to rush into things.”

“I know, just messin’ with ya.” Kelly nudged her. “It’s good to see you outside of the royal court.”

“And it’s nice seeing you too. All of you.” Star smiled warmly as the others shared their greetings. “How’s it going?”

Jackie answered first, “Great. College is pretty neat, except for chemistry. Dr. Howard is so _boring_ that I swear I need two cups of coffee to make it through a lecture. Other than that, life is good. I’ve got you guys and Chloe to keep things interesting.” 

Chloe blushed and took her hand. “I can’t believe we’ve been together for a year and a half now,” she said with her heavy French accent. “I feel so at home here.”

“That’s my goal as queen. To make Mewni a hospitable place for everyone,” said Star, brimming with pride. “It’s my mission to end the wrongs done against Monsterkind and help the Mewmans accept integration.”

“And if not, I’ll just call an army of skeletons to make them,” Janna joked. “It’s the latest demon spell I’m working on. I call it _Hell Raiser!_ I wish I had more time to practice it, but the university is still pissed that I burned a hole through my dorm’s roof.”

Jackie took a sip of her drink and sighed, “I told you, Janna, just because I’m the R.A. doesn’t mean demon magic is suddenly legal.”

“Does it matter? My boyfriend’s the Prince of the Underworld,” Janna bragged. “I’m untouchable.”

“ _Sure._ ”

“And when’s he going to make it official?” Pony Head pressed for an answer. “Like it’s been two years, and you’re still not his princess.”

Janna scowled and flipped up the collar of her black leather jacket, which complemented her black shirt and dark ripped jeans. “None of my bee’s wax,” she grumbled. “Tom says that he’s _unsure_ how to approach his father about our relationship. _His_ words, not mine, because, if it were up to me, I’d be ruling the whole Underworld by now.”

“Alright, let’s move on,” Star intervened quickly, knowing that Janna and Tom’s relationship status was a touchy topic.

She didn’t blame either party in the situation. It took a lot of courage from Star to declare Marco as her chosen prince, a decision the Butterfly and Lucitors continued to fight to this day, so she understood why Tom was hesitant to face Dave, his father—the tyrannical King of the Underworld. Plus, he would probably do worse things to Janna than he did to Marco. But on the other hand, she understood why Janna felt frustrated with the delay. She was almost as powerful as Tom with her Demon magic, and they had dated long enough to be considered for betrothal. She deserved her recognition, but Star had no idea how to help the situation. Many clung to the old ways, especially as she sought to modernize the kingdom.

“Agreed,” Kelly said. “Let’s get out on the dancefloor.”

As they got up to dance, a demon stumbled his way over, shoving a waitress in the way. Star held her nose; he smelled like a bar and a locker room. _Get lost_ , she read his intentions and turned around for another drink but soon felt hot breath grazing her neck.

“Hey babe,” he slurred his words. “Wanna get lost?”

“I think you need to.” Star threatened, yanking her hand from his. “I’d watch your behavior. I _am_ the Queen of Mewni after all.” _I could end your life in a heartbeat._

Instead of backing off, he doubled down and signaled for his goons to harass Star’s friends to keep them at bay. “All the better,” he crooned, grabbing her roughly. “I’ve never slept with a real queen before. I bet it’d be fun.”

“ **Back off** ,” Star snarled in her Butterfly voice; her heart-shaped cheekmarks were white as snow. “This is your last warning.”

“Ah, a feisty one. Just how I like ‘em.” When he leaned in for a kiss, Star slugged him with a Rainbow Fist Punch, and the demon sailed across the room, bowling into a crowd of onlookers.

The music stopped, and all eyes turned to the queen. On cue, Kelly, Jackie, and Janna began to clear the other demons away with a few attacks. It didn’t take much to send the cowards running. Star stalked closer to the drunk, who still tried to make a move on her despite the blood dripping from a gash on his head.

“Kitty’s got claws,” he purred.

“Dude, chill,” one of his friends whispered. “I think she’s _really_ mad.”

But the drunk insisted, “I got this, bro. I’ve never lost one.”

_You’re about to lose your life_ , Star summoned magic to her fists. _It’s not murder if the queen does it!_ Just as she prepared to strike, a figure moved between them and hoisted the demon into the air by his jacket. Star rocked back on her heels at the sight of blood-red moons and a seething brown glare. Terror crept into the demon’s eyes as he came face-to-face with Marco, King of Mewni. Living with magic changed him, making him stronger than a professional weightlifter but without bulky muscles compromising his compact frame. His shaggy brown hair hung over his anger-shot eyes, and not even the demon could meet his gaze. Messing with Marco’s wife was a suicide mission in hell. 

The demon began to whine, “L-look, man—I mean, Your Majesty—it was a mistake. I didn’t know that the young lady was your wife—I mean, the Queen of Mewni.”

“Shut it!” Marco snarled. “And to be completely honest, if I wanted you dead, I’d let _my wife_ deal with you. Consider this an act of mercy.”

Star saw into his mind, catching the memories of the times she summoned her Butterfly form, a distinct magical ability possessed by the royal line that turned a mature queen or princess into a frightening mixture of insect, magician, and warrior. She reduced Toffee to goo when she first emerged in her golden form, so she imagined a demon would be easy prey…

“ _Not tonight,_ ” he answered. “ _I need your strength for other things._ ”

“ _Oh?_ ”

Marco returned his focus to the demon and slammed him into the ground. “Now get out of my sight. If I catch you looking at my wife again, you’ll be tasting my magic. That goes for _all_ of you.”

The other men in the room swiftly retreated, and Marco returned to Star. “Are you alright?” he murmured into her ear and wrapped an arm around her waist. “He didn’t hurt you or anything, did he?”

“No, my love,” Star said, replaying her memories as proof, “but I wish you’d let me finish my own battles. Remember what I said at the end of the Blood Moon Ball?”

He smirked. “But I’m not your friend anymore, Star. I’m your king and husband. I play by my own rules.”

“I see, Wild Man.” She gave him a kiss. “Can’t say I’m not happy to see you.”

“I hate interrupting Girls’ Night, but I miss you. The bed is so cold and lonely without you.”

His desires transmitted through the bond, and they made her blush: crumpled bedsheets, passionate kisses, tangled limbs… She wanted to take up his offer and retire early tonight, to indulge in a few sessions of _royal duties_ , but she knew Marco had thought of something else; his mind prickled with urgency.

“Oh, right,” he remembered. “I got a message from Tom. He needs help clearing out a pack of hellhounds. It’s urgent too—he wants us to meet him no later than dawn.”

“I can’t say no to adventure.” Star grew excited. “Let’s get moving then. Anyone else wanna come?”

“I think I’m good after all of that,” Kelly said.

“Yeah…Chloe and I too,” Jackie said. “Plus, I have midterms in a few days. Gotta get studying.”

“Ugh, forgot about those,” Janna groaned. “You’re so lucky, Diaz. You get to skip human misery.”

“And you think dealing with the royals isn’t?” he replied.

“Rather do that than study,” Janna said and followed Jackie and Chloe to their portal. “By the way, tell Tom I’ll see him when exams are over. Wish I could hang out.”

The friend group broke apart, but Pony Head remained with Star and Marco. “Y’all go on. I see a group of cute stallions to chase,” she giggled.

“ _Gross_ ,” Star and Marco said to each other in unison, wrinkling their noses in disgust. They refused to stick around and watch the princess embarrass herself.

“Well, we’ll leave you to it.” Star opened a portal to the castle with a spell. “Later, Pony.”

“Don’t scare them too much,” Marco said.

Pony Head started to say something sarcastic in reply, but the club vanished at the mouth of the portal and morphed into the dark hall of Butterfly Castle. The silence was deafening. Only the click of Vice Captain Higgs’s steel-toed boots broke the calm as she led the Kingsguard Night Patrol down the far corridor. When Star heard their heavy steps on the bluestone floor, which had been turned frost-silver by moonlight, she thought of the secret place and longed to stargaze and frolic in the snow with Marco. They hadn’t done that in a while.

“ _Do you wanna build a snowman?_ ” she quipped but scowled when he brushed off the question. Marco was brooding about what happened at the Mosh Pit, and she saw bloodlust in his eyes, burning like the Blood Moon. It made her uneasy. Usually, Marco was gentle like a warnicorn foal—and just as cute—but he had his moments, especially when someone threatened her safety.

_Such a Safe Kid_ , Star shook her head and said aloud, “Marco, it’s okay. We took care of the creep, and now he’ll die alone somewhere.”

“He’s still a predator!” Marco’s voice contained a hint of a growl. “Hitting on a _minor_ at a club...They all know you’re the queen and _my_ wife! The nerve of him!”

“Marco, dear, I’m going to be eighteen in a week.”

“ _So_.”

“Plus, wouldn’t that make you the creep? You’re a month older.”

His face turned red. “I’m your husband, though. Anyways, I just worry about you partying each night. Seems every male in the dimension has a crush on you…”

“Then let them look. I only have eyes for you.” Star placed a hand on his cheek. “Seriously, I can handle myself just fine.”

“Star...” Marco leaned against the stained glass window and purple light obscured his face.

Regardless of the shadows, she could still read him, even without the bond. “Stop feeling like you aren’t doing enough. We both knew that the burden of being queen is mine alone. It’s just how it is.”

_Duty before self_.

Star remembered the mantra passed queen to princess, mother to daughter, since the beginning. For a long time, she rebelled against it, determined to cling to the freedom she found on Earth, but duty called her back to Mewni when Toffee, who had possessed Ludo’s body, attacked and took over the castle. Star’s easy days were over, for even after liberating the kingdom from the evil Monsters and their rat army, expanded princess duties and Moon’s death cemented her fate. Mewni needed a queen, and although, Star maintained her friends and partying habits, the reality never escaped her. The kingdom needed her constantly like how a child needed a mother, and in fact, the title “Mother of Mewni,” was one of the many bestowed during the coronation.

“ _I want to do more,_ ” Marco sighed. “ _Not for my own glory but to help you. It’s not fair that you have to do everything._ ”

“I know, I know,” Star breathed. “Traditions are hard to break. Remember the fuss the royals made when I legislated integration? You’d think I insulted their honor.”

“Tell me about it, and trust me, humans are no better.”

“Yeah…United States’ history is kinda horrible.” Before learning about humans, Star assumed the frail, non-magical beings were docile and peaceful, but in reality, they were no better than Mewmans regarding how they treated those who were different. She took Marco’s hand and watched the stars in his eyes. “I’ve want to include you more, and fuck it, it’s time I do.”

“Language…” Marco muttered.

“I’ve said worse,” she said. “Especially in bed...”

His face turned red. “Maybe when we get back from the Underworld, but we should get going.”

“Agreed. I’d hate to keep Tom waiting.”

In less than an hour, Star and Marco gathered their weapons, saddled their warnicorns, and emerged into the Underworld, the kingdom of the Lucitor family. Deep in the molten heart of Mewni, under miles of bedrock, demons, ghouls, and other mysterious beings dwelled in a land where the sun did not shine and where lava broiled in vast calderas and churned in rivers. It was here, among fire and darkness and stone, that the mighty Lucitor family made their home, and as Mewni’s oldest continuously ruling family, their lineage stretched deep into the womb of time. The current Lucitor prince, Tom, sat outside of the castle’s massive obsidian walls, tending to his skeletal deadhorse mare. He was both warlock and demon, though the latter was more pronounced, manifested through purple skin and pink hair, which he kept in an imperial top-knot when in court and spiky around friends. But he had Lucitor eyes—heavy, languid, blood-red pools that glowed ominously in shadow and glinted dully in light, giving him the appearance of constantly brooding over something.

The mare’s fiery mane flared with excitement when she smelled Star and Marco, and those three red eyes lifted off the ground and softened.

“Finally, I thought I’d have to go it alone,” the demon prince said and greeted his friends with a hug. “Nice to see you two. I take it Janna’s too busy to accompany us?”

Star nodded. “She has exams, otherwise, she would have come.”

“Such a shame.” Tom flicked his red tail, which hung freely from his black pants. “I don’t know why she puts up with all of that crap. I’m the Prince of the Underworld. She doesn’t really need to go to school if she’s with me, but oh well, if it makes her happy, then I’m for it. Anyways, how’s she doing?”

“She’s doing fine,” Star said, adding to herself and potentially Marco: _Just waiting for you to make the move._

“Excellent!” Tom grinned, showing his fangs. “I bet she’ll ace all of her exams. If not…well, if anyone dares to fail her, then let’s just say I can change their minds.”

“I bet you can,” Marco said dryly.

“Anyways, enough talking. We got some hellhounds to chase,” Tom said as he mounted his deadhorse. “They’re located just a few miles up the road, near my uncle’s manor at Sulfur. We need to head them off before they reach the town. They’ve already eaten a few shepherds. I heard this pack is extremely vicious and it doesn’t have an Alpha.”

“Well, the queen and her king are on the case,” Star replied with a smile. “I love a little danger in my life.”

“Then let’s go!”

Tom and his deadhorse led the way, followed next by Marco and his unicorn, Sol, and Star with her steadfast Sir Runs-A-Lot. The gelding started his life as a chariot horse at the Cornflower Festival but soon proved his worth as Star’s trusty mount and warhorse, carrying her over thousands of miles all across the kingdoms. Even in the black forests and ash fields of the Underworld, he trotted without fear.

Star tasted the air but recoiled in disgust. Normally, her Mewmans senses would have picked up the trail, but it was difficult separating anything out of the overwhelming smell of rotten eggs and burnt toast. _I’m so glad I’m not the queen down here_ , she praised the Blood Moon for choosing Marco as her mate. If it hadn’t intervened, Star would have been betrothed to Tom with the hope of uniting their families through matrimony. Ever since the Butterflys became leaders of Mewni, the Lucitors have coveted their power, wishing to breed it into their bloodlines, but their attempts had failed so far. In a thousand years, not a single queen married a Lucitor, though Queen Rhina came close by marrying a relation of theirs. Star and Tom were once lovers, as were many Butterfly princesses and Lucitor princes of yore, but their hearts never belonged to each other. Friendship bound them now, which proved to be a much better arrangement than romance.

Suddenly, Sir Runs-A-Lot halted and snorted a thin cloud of ash in a warning. _Something is out there that I don’t like_ , he signaled as his gray-tipped ears swiveled forward and then sharply backward. Star dismounted and stooped to the ground. There were pawprints everywhere, and they led into the forest off the road.

“ _Great..._ ” Marco frowned from Sol. “ _They just had to go into the creepy woods_.”

“ _Oh, come on, Marco, where’s your sense of adventure?_ ” she teased.

“ _It’s two o’clock in the morning_.”

“Are you alright or is it just a Blood Moon thing?” Tom pulled his deadhorse alongside the couple.

“Blood Moon thing,” Marco answered. “Star knows where the hellhounds are.”

“Guess it’s hunting time.” Tom slid off his horse. “It’d be best to continue on foot.”

They left their warnicorns on the road and trekked into the shadows, traveling in a single-file line to conceal their approach from the hellhounds. Star led the way. She stretched her senses to comb the hidden land in front of them, searching for every possible sign left behind by the pack. Tom and Marco whispered to each other, and as much as she wanted to join their conversation, she remained focused on the task. While renowned for her extroverted tendencies, when Star was in _queen-mode_ , she transformed into an attentive leader akin to a watchful parent. Mewni was her responsibility, and she swore to protect her people with her life. That sense of duty, combined with restlessness and wanderlust, spurred Star to spearhead her own expeditions, making her the first true warrior-queen in over seven hundred years. In the earliest days of the Butterfly Kingdom, queens were expected to ride into battle and defend the Mewman settlers from dangers in the wild, but civilization and standing armies ended the practice. Star could count on the fingers of one hand the times she witnessed her mother depart on a quest, so she decided to be more hands-on. The whole dimension was her castle, from the Mewnian plain to the heart of the Underworld.

A herd of cat-sized fanged deer startled nearby—about ten yards away, she reckoned—and Star heard their tiny hooves squish in the moist soil. _Can’t be too far now_ , she felt the air grow cold and tense, so she unsheathed her wand from its holster tied to her hip. It felt strange in her hand. The wand was the Butterfly family’s most prized heirloom, passed to a princess when she turned fourteen to hone her magic skills. Although Star could wield wandless magic, a skill she inherited along with dipping down after Mewberty, she still relied on the wand to weave more powerful spells.

In her hand, the wand turned into a purple longbow, and she set her fingers on the string. “Show yourselves!” she barked to the darkness ahead. “I know you’re there!”

Marco and Tom drew their rapiers and covered her flanks.

“ _How many are there?_ ” Marco asked.

“ _I’d say about fifty_ ,” Star replied. “ _And Tom’s right—no Alpha._ ”

“ _Do you think it’s the same pack from two years ago?_ ”

Star shuddered, not from the question but from the awkward memories that surfaced about the infamous Underworld quest—full of hellhounds, videogames, and awkward teen feelings. Thankfully, they were all past that now. “ _I was thinking about that_ ,” she admitted. “ _but I was hoping my suspicions were wrong_.”

“Can you guys clue me in?” Tom huffed.

“Sorry,” Marco said. “Star and I were wondering if this is the same pack from before the Prince’s Ball.”

“I _really_ wanna forget about that stupid camping trip,” Tom groaned, “but I think you might be on to something, and if so, get ready. Hellhounds hold grudges.”

The shadows became alive with bright red eyes and glinting skulls, and just as Tom had said, there was no Alpha among them, both a reassuring and worrisome sign.

“No problem. A queen holds grudges too!” Star charged into battle.

The hellhounds advanced in a black and red wave, but the royals held their ground. Star shot several of them with her magical arrows, and the impacts caused them to disappear into hissing wisps. _This is too easy_ , she smirked at her abilities. She hardly broke into a sweat while fighting. Meanwhile, her king and prince fared equally well, combining magic and swift attacks from their rapiers. _Marco’s grown into an excellent warrior_ , Star couldn’t help but smile. They cemented their friendship over fighting Ludo’s Monster army years ago, so fighting became like a dance to them—a rhythmic ebb and flow of offense and defense. Of magic and swords.

Star returned the wand to the holster and drew her sword. _Gotta spice it up a little_ , she cleaved a hound in half and then blasted several more with a wandless version of her Narwhal Blast. _Phew,_ the queen took a respite from the action. A chill ran down her spine as she spied a thin ridge of light in the east. She was going to be late for her meeting!

“Tom!” she yelled. “I know we’re having fun, but I gotta get back to the castle.”

The prince nodded. “On it!”

He corralled the survivors with a ring of blue fire and summoned a giant black and tan dog out of a portal. Cerberus, the three-headed Guardian of the Lucitor family, wasted little time devouring the remaining hellhounds, leaving none left. And just like that, the quest was over. The hellhounds would never terrorize the countryside again.

“There’s my favorite hound-killer!” Star cooed and kissed each of Cerberus’s square noses. “Mama loves you very much.”

_Arf!_ The guardian’s bark shook the forest.

Marco glanced at his watch and cleared his throat to get Star’s attention. “We need to get going. _Now!_ ”

“Coming!” Star whistled for Sol and Sir Runs-A-Lot and then turned to Tom, who was busy petting Cerberus. “Sorry we had to rush. I have a meeting in three hours, and there’s a lot to do before then.”

Tom shrugged. “No worries. I have my own stuff to do. My father’s been adding a lot to my plate lately, and as much as I hate serving with him, I don’t have a choice.”

“Hey, man, see it as an opportunity,” Marco said. “You get to practice being king before it actually happens.”

Tom remained indifferent. “We’ll see. Anyways, good luck, and thanks for your help.”

The Underworld forest melted behind Star and Marco, and they emerged into the Great Hall of Butterfly Castle. The warnicorns skidded on the blue-checkered floor, causing the attending maids to curse under their breath at the muddy hoofprints streaking across the hall. _Oops_ , Star brought her gelding to a stop and ducked her head in embarrassment. She meant to open the portal at the base of the outdoor stairs, not inside the castle.

“Sorry, ma’am,” she apologized. “I can clean it.”

“And clean it, you shall!” Great Aunt Etheria appeared, flanked by Aunt Felicity and Uncle Heartrude—her niece and nephew. Her disparaging, pale eyes froze Star’s blood to ice. “It’s very unbecoming of a Butterfly queen to barge into the castle with smelly barnyard animals! Just where have you been, young lady? Hopefully not cavorting with those filthy human friends of yours…”

“They aren’t filthy!” Star countered. “And it's none of your business where I go during my free time, but for your information, I was helping Prince Thomas defend the Underworld from hellhounds.”

“Hunting hellhounds? How undignified!” Heartrude scoffed. “Hunting is for princes and kings, not for queens.”

“And you shouldn’t be going on quests and leaving the castle defenseless,” Felicity added.

Star bristled. How dare her extended family treat her like a child! “I know how to run my kingdom, thank you very much. And the castle wasn’t defenseless—Sir Andrew and the Kingsguard are on constant watch and my father is here in case something happens while I’m gone.”

“But you shouldn’t _be_ gone—that’s the problem. Your place is in here,” Etheria argued.

“My place is out there! Wanna know why Mewni has had so many issues for so long? Because the queens did _nothing!_ They failed to alleviate poverty among the commoners, protect the kingdom from invaders, or de-escalate tensions between Mewmans and Monsters. If you wanna go back to those old days, fine, but let me rule the Mewni of today the way _I_ want to!”

Star could kill Etheria if she wanted to; while all female Butterflys had cheekmarks, only the royal line possessed magic, passed from mother to firstborn daughter along with the throne and the wand. Both Etheria and Felicity were second-daughters, which likely fueled their bitterness, but either way, their rudeness was part of the reason why Star preferred to spend her nights with friends. She had to get away from their constant scrutiny.

“ _Easy, Star. No need to get riled up this early—or this late rather_ ,” Marco used to bond to calm her down.

At last, she relaxed and looked away, letting Etheria win this round. _But one day, you won’t be so lucky_ , Star swore to the Stump, Glossaryck, and every Spirit she could remember under her breath and stormed upstairs towards her bedroom with Marco following.

“ _Why didn’t Eclipsa kill Etheria instead of Mom?_ ” she lamented.

Marco sighed, “ _I don’t pretend to know, but what I do know is this: you’re doing a great job, Star. Mewni couldn’t ask for a better ruler or I a better wife._ ”

She wanted to crawl into his arms and drink in every word along with his presence, but morning loomed on the horizon, the end of her freedom. As the sun dawned to mark the beginning of a new day, it rose upon Her Majesty Queen Star Butterfly. And so, the dance continued.


	2. Chapter 2

Marco wasn’t sure how he felt about winter. Even after living exclusively on Mewni for nearly three years, his Southern California roots remained wary of the varied climate that changed with the whims of time. Spring was his favorite season; when the new sun quickened delicate green buds and when warmth returned after the long winter, carried by the mild south wind from far beyond the Musty Mountains. It smelled of wildflowers and honey. Next came the malaise of summer, when the blistering sun turned the sky white-hot and the east wind hovered low and wet, as if someone had dropped a warm washrag on Mewni and left it to smother everything under it. Luckily, its tyranny eventually gave into fall, and Marco enjoyed the lengthening nights, crisp with cold, and the colorful leaves fluttering to the ground like red and orange snow. But winter was different from the other seasons. Villagers became anxious about dwindling stores, animals grew restless and uncomfortable, and even Nature herself shivered with each blow of the terrible north wind. And worst of all, winter meant spending long, dark days inside the castle. It meant interacting with the Butterflys more often and feeling the bond fray with stress from Star’s side.

_I wish I could do more to help her,_ he sighed, thinking back to their last confrontation with Etheria about a week ago. As much as Marco wanted to intervene, preferably by slicing off his in-law’s tongue with his rapier, his station forbade it. The King of Mewni was subordinate to the queen and her lords; a figurehead to be seen but seldom heard from, except during ceremonial matters. He fathered the queen’s legitimate heirs, though only her firstborn daughter inherited magic, the wand, and the crown. Her other daughters reigned as powerful lords and advisers, serving like worker bees in a hive, and they fared better than their brothers. There was no title for a queen’s son—he was neither a prince nor a lord. He simply hoped to marry rich. While Marco knew his fate as Star’s husband, and signed on willingly, he yearned for more. They spent so much of their relationship as equal partners, when would he get to shine on his own? 

“ _Everything okay in there?_ ” Star nudged him.

He shook his head to dismiss his thoughts and forced a smile. “ _I’m fine. Just seasonal blues_ ,” he said.

“ _Well, come on, you’re going to miss the Stump Day story._ ” Her voice was energetic but strained. Marco knew better than to pretend that she didn’t know his thoughts, but he also knew there was no need to dampen the festive spirit of Stump Day.

Unlike most winter days, the Butterfly Castle was alive with cheer and laughter. Stump Day was the most sacred winter holiday on the Mewnian calendar and among the few times a year when the whole kingdom shut down to enjoy family and honor the Spirits. The excitement reminded Marco of Christmas movies on television: frost framed the cold windows, snow blanketed the ground outside, and the stars were bright and glittering like little ornaments. Inside, decorations adorned the royal ballroom: tart-smelling pine boughs, pearls of mistletoe, and miniature tree stumps among them. All to celebrate the Stump, the god of relationships and bonding, who helped the first Mewman settlers survive the winter by encouraging them to work together as a community. But his altruism came with a price, for the Stump is also the god of revenge. Each year, the Mewmans offered blood sacrifices to appease his hunger and hope that he will continue to aid them. Marco hated participating in the slaughter of cute pig-goats and autumn-fattened lambs, but the Spirits were his gods too by marriage. He had to play his part.

But once the ritual ended, merriment returned and the Mewmans spent the rest of the day drinking and sharing presents and stories. It was then that children came out to play. They raced around the room, annoying the adults and hiding under tables. Star had many younger cousins, all of whom were dressed in fine velvet as a sign of their privilege, but one child stood out from the rest. Marco Jr. didn’t seem to notice that he wasn’t Mewman. He ran and played with his extended family, even though they were all stronger and faster than him. Right now, the two-year-old wrestled with Comette, one of Star’s second cousins. She had him in a headlock, but determination blazed in Marco Jr.’s sharp green eyes as he tried to wriggle free. 

“Shouldn’t we do something?” Marco asked Star, watching his younger brother struggle. Although Comette was also two years old, she was built more like a kindergartener.

Star shook her head. “MJ has to fight his own battles to fit into Mewnian society. Struggling builds character; if we intervene, he’ll lose respect.”

“But he’s a toddler!”

“If he were born on Mewni, he’d be expected to follow his parents on hunting trips and ride ponies,” Star said rather coldly. “Plus, I know MJ can do it. I taught him how to wrestle.”

Sure enough, Marco Jr. used his smaller size as an advantage and squirmed out of Comette’s grip, and then slammed into her with all of his might. She fell to the ground, and the human child stood over her with a prideful sneer. He’d won his first fight.

“Way to go, MJ!” Star cheered. “You showed her!”

“I did!” he giggled, clapping his hands together. “I fight!”

_Why do I have the feeling he’s going to be in plenty more?_ Marco took a sip of mulled wine to swallow his building dread. Strength and bravery might be Mewman virtues, but human children were expected to be kind and courteous.

Marco Jr. climbed into Star’s arms, and she tapped his nose with hers. “You’ll be as strong as me in no time,” she said with a smile. “Maybe you’ll even become a knight one day, just like the ones in my stories.”

His eyes grew wide.

Meanwhile, his mother laughed, speaking in decent High Mewnian, the courtly tongue, “Oh Star, I think stealing one son is enough.”

“She didn’t steal me, Mom,” Marco said. “I left voluntarily, with a little help from Jackie and the Blood Moon.”

“If you say so, _mijo_ ,” his father replied. “Regardless, I’m glad you are happy.”

“Me too.” But Marco replied with a twinge of sadness. Was he truly happy as an outsider among his people and his extended family?

Before he could dwell on the lingering doubts any longer, which threatened to spoil his holiday, River clapped his hands to gather everyone’s attention and to signal the start of the Retelling, the best part of Stump Day. At once, the music and conversation ceased, and the whole assembly—the Houses of Butterfly, Johansen, and Diaz—crowded around the prince, carrying their wooden mugs of Stump-nog with them. The children sat in the front, jostling for the best places and shushing anyone who disturbed the quiet. Marco Jr. took part too, calling one of the Johansen boys a _bhraila—_ a dumbass. _I need to tell Star to stop cursing in front of him_ , Marco sighed. For a long time, they both assumed Marco Jr. wouldn’t pick up Mewnian, but it came to him as naturally as English and Spanish. The excitement glimmering in the children’s eyes proved contagious, bringing a sense of joy to the adults and thawing even the coldest of hearts. Marco swore he saw Etheria smile, though it vanished instantly when she noticed his gaze. _What are you looking at, human?_ Her scowl made him look away quickly.

The excitement soon simmered into anticipation, for there was nothing Mewmans loved more than a good story, especially one centering around their history. In the old days, before Destinia the Exalted, the ninth Queen of Mewni, invented the alphabet, knowledge was transmitted orally, carried from one generation to the next through songs, poems, and morality tales about famous events and historical figures. But even with writing, storytelling remained an important part of Mewnian culture and acted as a way to connect both semi-literate peasants and well-educated royals to the past. It was the reason why a princess’s Song Day was so important.

River took one last sip of Stump-nog and smiled warmly as he took a deep breath to prepare himself. His pale eyes became grayed and weathered, as if he had gone back in time and experienced the story himself: “In a time long past, about a thousand years ago, some reckon, when Mewni was but wild and dangerous, there came ashore a small wooden boat full of weary travelers. The arrivals came from lands unknown and lost to time, from somewhere far across the Western Sea and farther still from where the Mother Sun rests each night, and it was evident that they had traveled a great way to reach Mewni.”

“How many travelers were there, Uncle River?” a Johansen child asked.

River replied, “Our stories record eight people—three women and five men—but it’s more likely that they arrived with other relatives. Only the women could use magic, but that’s a story for another time. As I was saying, the travelers arrived in the dead of winter, most likely around Mondarn, the Darkness of Darkness, and they were ill-prepared for the ice and snow. They tried their best to scrounge up enough resources to build a settlement, but the bad weather and darkness made it difficult. Tensions flared and fights broke out over scraps of firewood and food. These were dark times—the lawless times before the Age of Queens.”

“So what happened next?” another child interrupted, drawing ire from his neighbors.

“Settle down, children. Remember not to fuss with each other on Stump Day, or we will face _his_ wrath!” River separated them with a stern warning before continuing in his same enchanting voice from earlier, “As I was saying…oh yes, blood spilled on the ground, and it seemed as if the settlement was doomed to fail. And to make matters worse, a blizzard came and buried all of Mewni, from the Jaggy Mountains to the Southern Wilds!”

The children began to worry, and the adults shifted around restlessly. Even Star was caught up in the mood and she gripped Marco’s arm. Her touch made his face warm.

“ _This part gets me every time_ ,” Star whispered.

“One of the women grew tired of the constant fighting and hardship, so she set out on a perilous journey to find shelter for her people, lest they all freeze and die. Her travels took her to a giant cave in a coastal forest, where she discovered a massive tree stump surrounded by luscious furs. Now, this wasn’t any ordinary stump, you see—it was as big as a mountain and as wide as a valley. The woman noticed a deep hollow among its gnarled roots and decided this could be a great place to winter. But as she drew near, the Stump yawned and shook the cave. ‘ _Who dares disturb my slumber?_ ’ he bellowed. Instead of running in fear, the woman spoke up for herself, ‘ _Forgive me, kind sir, I mean not to trespass, but my people are lonesome and hungry amongst this land, and I only require shelter from the cold wind and the cruel soil._ ’ At first, the Stump was indignant, no mortal had ever addressed him so, but the woman’s audacity amazed him. ‘ _Alright,_ ’ said the Stump, ‘ _You can winter here, and I shall protect you as if you were my own. But promise me that you and your descendants shall worship me on this day once a year, henceforth. Do this, and I shall bless your people forever and curse your enemies. Whosoever shall come against you, I shall sharpen your bloodlust and give you your vengeance.’_ And so, the woman made a pact with the Stump, and her people sheltered under it until the storm passed. While they waited, the settlers formed the Great Storm Pact, promising to never quarrel with one another again, and it is upon this bond which the kingdom of Mewni was built!” 

“To the Stump!” Uncle Grunt raised his mug.

“To the Stump!” the others joined in and drank.

“Wow, I’ve never heard this version of the story before,” Marco remarked after drinking.

Star replied, “Most Mewmans like the ‘self-determination version’ where the settlers solved their problems on their own, but in reality, they had help. The woman in the story was the First Queen, and she brokered alliances with each of the Spirits, ruling families, and even the Monsters. It’s those connections that helped the Mewmans survive and allowed the First Queen to rise to power. She’s just as renowned for her diplomacy skills as she is for her fighting and magical skills.”

“Oh.” It made sense to Marco. “So what happened with the Monsters? Obviously, whatever deal she made with them didn’t last.”

“The First Queen wasn’t perfect. She indulged her power-hungry generals because she kinda slept with all of them, including the one who became her king. They were all a part of her male harem, so to keep them happy, she let them invade Monster territory to work off their aggression. It made the old Monster kings pissed—and rightly so—but since it benefited the kingdom, the First Queen turned a blind eye to the war crimes and suffering. Eventually, when the kings tried to defend themselves by attacking one of the First Queen’s new settlements, she got uppity about it, causing her to declare war on Monsterkind. It’s a shame, really, but everyone knows a Butterfly Queen’s greatest weakness is men.”

“Clearly that vice has continued to this day,” Crystalla Butterfly, one of Star’s older relatives, sneered. “Monster Love also runs in the bloodline, thanks to Eclipsa.”

“Don’t compare me to _her!_ ” Star snarled. “And last I checked, I didn’t invite you to ruin my Stump Day.”

Marco opened his mouth to respond, but he quickly closed it again, remembering that his interference would only make the argument worse. Instead, he stared at his feet while the fighting went on.

“And we didn’t ask for a _human_ to join the family,” Etheria added, her eyes glinting like splintered ice, sucking the warmth out of the room. “Also, I can’t believe Prince River changed the story—adding all of that politically correct nonsense. The Mewmans survived the winter because they were crafty and resourceful, not because they begged for help.”

“There’s nothing wrong with asking for help, and that _is_ the true story,” Star said through gritted teeth. “Maybe _you’ve_ never heard it before because you’re too stuck on the old ways to learn the truth.” 

“Well, at least I haven’t endangered the royal lineage by marrying a non-magical human! I’d rather you marry a Monster.”

“And I’d rather you swallow your tongue!”

“Why I never—”

The atmosphere in the room grew tense as the Butterflys faced each other in the middle of the gathering; hate swirled in their eyes like storm clouds. Marco set down his mug and prepared to intervene when River beat him to it, throwing himself between his daughter and in-laws. “As much as I love a good brawl, it is Stump Day, and it would dishonor the spirit of the holiday to fight. So, Etheria dear, if you have some sort of issue with my daughter and my son-in-law, then be so kind and lock yourself away in the dungeon.”

Etheria cursed him and stomped away, and although Star backed down, Marco felt the bond simmer with her dark fantasies of blasting the Butterflys across the universe. “ _Only my bloodline is needed_ ,” she continued to fume. “ _I am the Queen of Mewni! I’m the one who’ll have magical offspring!_ ”

But Marco worried privately, in a small voice only his inner ears heard. He was still a human despite his blessing from the Blood Moon, so would his blood ruin the royal line? In the far corner of the room, Marco Jr. tripped on his chubby legs while his Mewman playmates continued their game of tag. Envy glinted in his gaze while he pouted, and he pushed his mother away when she tried to comfort him. _I should tell the kids to play nicer with him,_ Marco soon felt regretful that he even _needed_ to do that. His brother should have friends who were on his level…

“ _Everything okay, Marco?_ ” Star asked.

He shook his head. “ _Nevermind, Star, I’ve got something to do._ ”

The Stump Day festivities started to pick up again, but Marco snuck out of the castle, thankful to have an out to get away from his family. How was he supposed to be an effective king when no one respected him? _Where’s my place in all of this?_ He watched the cold stare of the winter moons.

* * *

At this point in the winter, day was indistinguishable from night, a continuous train of darkness broken up by brief glimmers of the afternoon sun low on the horizon. Most Mewmans abandoned keeping track of the hours and let natural impulses dictate when to eat, sleep, or work, and as a result, the Stump Day festivities wound down on their own around ten o’clock or so, when tiredness descended heavily on the children and drunkenness on the adults. The music lulled to a stumbling murmur and the conversation became whispers against the cooling stone, a sign that it was time for the families to part ways. The Diazes were the first to leave, though Marco Jr. protested bitterly, followed then by the Johansens who had to travel to their kingdom, and lastly the Butterflys who stayed around to pass around gossip while others were inebriated. Despite his mood, Marco helped his relatives gather their belongings and escorted them to the carriages parked outside the castle’s entrance, sending them off with goodbyes and customary wishes for good health and luck.

At eleven o’clock, the ballroom was empty, save the roaring fire and denuded round tables tucked into the corners, but to Marco and his group of friends, the real party had just begun. He let out a sleepy yawn, letting the crisp air invigorate his tired body. It tasted sharp and wild, with warm notes from remnants of mulled wine and roasted meats. As much as he wanted to go to bed, Marco’s most important task lay ahead of him. It was still the first of Torax, the beginning of the Mewnian new year, and Star’s eighteenth birthday. And although Mewmans marked adulthood at fourteen years old, Marco wanted to celebrate her birthday Earth-style, full of games, presents, snacks…and alcohol—something forbidden to young adults in the United States until twenty-one. Mewni had no restrictions, and Marco had, once again, learned that the hard way.

The room continued to spin; shapes blurred into vivid colors as if smeared by a thumb. Marco Jr.’s fingerpainted pictures were more coherent than what Marco experienced after three brimming cups of tequila—not on his own volition. If only he knew that Janna had tricked him because he refused to participate in _Truth or Dare_ , remembering the fiasco from the last time he played that game with StarFan13, Pony Head, Jackie, Star, and her. _Truth or Dare_ , with or without the Truth or Punishment Cube, was a stupid game in general, in his opinion, because using peer pressure to reveal humiliating secrets seemed sadistic. But when Pony Head brought up the suggestion, everyone, including Tom, Kelly, and Chloe, agreed. Once again, Marco, King of Mewni, had no say in his community’s affairs, though he relented because it was Star’s day and she wanted to do it. He planned on sitting out on the sideline and eating rainbow birthday cake, but Janna turned his water into tequila without warning and supernaturally dulled the taste and smell, so by the time Marco became aware, it was too late. Now he was drunk, miserable, and embarrassed when his friends laughed at his fear of sleeping alone.

“Wow, Marco, that’s rich!” Janna’s cackle came out short and sloppy after many rounds of alcohol.

_You wouldn’t understand because you’re not married even though you want to be,_ Marco scowled and uttered some part of that thought aloud, making Janna quiet in an instant. He recoiled at his own hostility, but the real Marco—the side of him who was a rational, soft-spoken human being—was not in control, and, instead, watched the scene unfold from a distance, helpless to stop his roguish behavior.

Star eyed him after his outburst. “ _Marco?_ ”

He lowered his gaze, unable to form a coherent response. Was he okay—a human lightweight who was so drunk he could puke and sleep in his own puddle of vomit while his Mewman friends had drunk about several times more than him and were still only buzzed? Did he belong here on Mewni, where his authority and worth were challenged every day because a man of his station was expected to follow two steps behind his wife, who was also his queen? And what difference would Star’s idealistic plans of including him in her royal duties make when Mewmans and Monsters alike had never bowed to a king before and—

“ _Marco, chill!_ ” Star thumped him with her shoulder. “ _Your thoughts are making me anxious._ ”

_Can I do anything right?_ He stewed silently, twiddling his sneakers to ease his nerves.

“Did you hear me, Marco?” Tom prodded him with one of his spiked boots, which hurt his knees. “Truth or dare?”

He took a deep breath. “Truth. Shouldn’t drink no more…”

“Alright, what is your deepest insecurity?”

“Can we skip this and open presents?”

Tom laughed, “Man, you _really_ are out of it. We already did presents an hour ago, remember?”

Marco wanted to bury himself under the bluestone tile and hide forever, away from the ridicule of his friends. How could he have forgotten when Star gushed over the wide array brought before her: a custom skateboard from Jackie and Chloe, emblazoned with the Butterfly family crest on the deck; a spiky morningstar from Kelly; shot glasses that magically refilled on command from Pony Head; a StarFan13 cosplay costume from Starfan13; and a book on bodily possession from Janna, which contained a chapter on how to hijack the Blood Moon bond. Marco wasn’t too happy about that and made a mental note to hide the book somewhere. Tom gave Star a pair of red fingerless gloves that enabled her to use Demon Magic—a gift she tried instantly.

But the showstopper had been Marco’s first present. Star was a difficult person to shop for because she had _everything_ and had the means to get anything she wanted either with magic or her tremendous wealth. But there was one thing she coveted. He remembered how her face lit up when she saw it then, and now, the same expression of awe befell her when she opened his gift to reveal a great black saddle made of dragon leather and Hellsheep wool. It was the same warrior’s saddle used by ancient Mewman who needed a durable saddle that could survive the harsh environment but was also comfortable for days’ long rides across the wilderness. There were ample saddlebags built-in too, including sheaths for swords, bows, and daggers. Star had first seen a warrior’s saddle when she led the Johansens into battle against frost giants last winter, and she now finally had one of her own to ride in the Queen’s Cup, Mewni’s infamous multi-day endurance race. 

After realizing his mistake, Marco ducked his head. “Can you ask a different question, Tom?”

“Nope. Already did greatest fear,” Tom said. “Sorry, bro, but you either spill the beans or finish that bottle of schnapps over there.”

_Why’d it have to be Truth or Dare?_ Marco gulped as the same foreboding sense of doom from long ago fell on him again. Unless he wanted the worst hangover ever and a whole day in bed, he had to confess what had plagued his mind ever since Star proposed to him years ago—that his greatest insecurity was not being good enough for her. A secret kept deliberately from her, though the Blood Moon bond may have given her an inkling of it. Even though Magic gave him augmented abilities, he was still far weaker and slower than the rest of his Mewman family. What right did he have to be by her side, to demand a place in the royal hierarchy, when he was a mere human and a commoner? When his whole destiny seemed the byproduct of _luck_ , brought on by the mysterious nature of Magic and Spirits, instead of his own skill? When he was a mere shadow, whose sole purpose was to father Star’s children—her half- _human_ children who probably would be unable to use magic…?

“Marco, are you okay?” Jackie tapped his shoulder. “You’re getting really sweaty.”

“I-I’m not sweaty!” He flinched. “I don’t have any insecurities to share—whatsoever. Especially none about my place on Mewni or being with Star or anything. Nope, not me. I’m Mr. Confident!”

Jackie and Star shared a glance while the others either fidgeted uncomfortably or laughed uncontrollably, like Pony Head.

“Oooh, that’s _rich!_ ” the princess cackled, snorting beer out of her nose. “I love this game!”

“Maybe we should stop,” Kelly said. “We don’t wanna risk angering the Stump.”

“Yeah…I think it’s getting out of hand,” Star said, and then turned to Marco. “ _Wanna talk about it, boo?_ ”

He shook his head.

“ _Too late!_ ” a voice hissed like splintering ice, and the room turned dark, wisps from extinguished fires hung over the room, filling it with an acrid odor that stung Marco’s nose.

“What was that?” Tom created light by summoning fire to his hands.

Kelly, Pony Head, and Star joined him while Marco stayed back with his human friends, who were in various stages of inebriation, from Jackie, who was still somewhat sober, to StarFan13, who was completely passed out. He watched the rest of the group search the room and his heart sank in his chest. Why was he so helpless? He _should_ be out there too, acting like a king going into battle, not a queasy teenager.

“Come on out, Spirit,” Star challenged, unhooking her wand from the hilt. “There will be no trouble unless you cause it.”

The shadows danced, swirling into pools of black deeper than the darkest night and colder than death, setting frost on the furniture and empty bottles. Marco shivered in dread, as his eyebrows and thin mustache became crusted with ice despite his hood covering his ears. Something moved in the darkness, coiling and twisting like greedy hands reaching for food or gold, and whatever came within its grasp was snatched away. When the darkness gave way, at last, pushed by a fire rekindling in the hearth, all eyes saw a stout wooden beast emerge from the shadows, with golden sap oozing like spilt blood. The Stump had returned. He came for revenge.

“ _Who dares disturb my hallowed day? Who dares break the Truce?_ ” The Stump’s voice creaked like ancient trees bowed by wind, full of infinite years that stretched far beyond the founding of Mewni, far beyond even the age of the universe, to when the Spirits first emerged from Chaos.

Terror seized Marco, sobering him in an instant. He had to get out of here. He had to run, even if his friends and wife refused. For a second, he considered bolting towards the door, but shame stopped him. How could he be so cowardly when they needed him the most? _Unless those thoughts didn’t come from me_ , he remembered that the Stump was the god of relationships and bonds, who both protected them and severed them at will.

“We’ve been celebrating Star’s birthday for three years, and you’re just now getting upset about it?” Janna sneered. “Aren’tcha a little late?”

“ _What is three years to me or even three thousand? I am a Spirit. I pre-exist and shall continue forever, unlike you. Show respect, impudent Mortal, or I shall strike you as you breathe!_ ”

“I don’t care what the hell you are, lay a hand on her, and you’ll taste hellfire!” Tom snarled, taking a step forward to defend his girlfriend. “We fought you once, and we’ll do it again!”

“Yeah!” agreed StarFan13. “We have nothing to fear as long as Queen Star is here!”

Star did not share in their confidence, and Marco soon understood why when the bond fully opened. She saw the Stump for what he really was—a magnificent golden spirit like a man and a tree, who stood taller than any castle or mountain on Mewni. His head was crowned with antlers that dripped with moss, where ravens rested and whispered in his ears.

The Stump smirked. “ _You see me for who I am. Should’ve known the Blood Moon would reveal the truth. Very few have seen me, but I perhaps remember a young maiden not much older than you, Queen Star, whose courage inspired me._ ”

“Then I kindly ask you for your mercy, Lord Stump,” Star spoke respectfully, sounding far older than eighteen. “I know you are a jealous god, but surely a birthday celebration should not diminish your greatness.”

“ _It is my day, Star Butterfly, and mine alone!_ ” The room shook with thunder.

“ _Don’t worry, Marco, I’ve got an idea_ ,” she reassured him. To the Stump, she replied, “But see it this way, Lord Stump. My humble celebration has brought me and my friends together in comradery, a virtue you extol as the god of relationships.”

“ _True..._ ”

“And it is not like we gathered without giving you thought first. Did we all not sacrifice to you at dawn?”

“ _I still smell the aroma of your fires_ ,” he rumbled contently.

“And am I not the descendant of the First Queen of Mewni, the woman who came to you a thousand years ago? To me, sharing the same feast day with you is the highest honor awarded to a Butterfly.”

Her flattery put a smile on his fantastic face. “ _Hail to you, shrewdest of Queens, for you have delighted my soul, and for that reason, I shall permit you, and only you, the right to celebrate your birthday on my day. You have learned well from the discord you sowed years ago._ ”

She laughed, “Well, I could only choose one husband in the end.”

“ _And you have done well. A worthy king, he shall be. I have seen it in the stars._ ”

“Thank you, Lord Stump,” Marco dipped his head gratefully, feeling vindicated at last. _It’s not going to matter to Etheria,_ he thought ruefully, imagining her disbelief that he, a human, met with a powerful Spirit.

“ _King Marco, keep your eyes fixed on your destiny,_ ” the Stump urged. “ _Same with you, dear Star, I sense much coming your way. Only your bond will help you in the times ahead._ ”

“ _Great, sounds like another prophecy,_ ” Star groaned.

The great clock began to chime, and the Stump glanced at the sky. “ _I must take my leave. Until we meet again, Dance of the Sun and Star._ ”

In a flash, he disappeared, and light returned to the ballroom as if nothing had happened. “Wow, that was incredible!” Marco breathed. “We talked to the Stump and lived!”

“You talked to the Stump?” Janna questioned. “From our point of view, you two went into a weird trance, and the Stump kinda shrugged and left.”

“Oh,” he and Star said in unison.

“Welp, I see this as a sign to get going before anything else happens,” said Jackie with a yawn.

“Agreed.” Tom nodded. “Enjoy the rest of your night, Starship.”

“But not _too_ much,” Janna snorted with laughter.

Tom scowled at her but said nothing.

Everyone said their goodbyes and sliced opened portals for home. Pony Head went to the Mosh Pit to party while StarFan13 and Chloe left with Jackie. When Janna went to join them, Tom gently tugged her arm. “Stay with me, please,” he whispered urgently.

“ _Tom, ew!_ ” Star wrinkled her nose.

The air grew heavy and warm with tension, reminiscent of spices and mulled wine, making Marco wish he were a normal human who didn’t have the misfortune of smelling his friend’s pheromones. _Gross._

Janna took his hand and leaned against Tom’s shoulder. “Alright, but if Jackie yells at me for missing dorm checkout time in the morning, it’s your fault.”

“Human rules don’t scare me, babe,” he growled, sniffing her neck. “C’mon, we’re going to make Marco pass out if we wait any longer.”

“Hey, you get mad when I do that to Star,” Marco huffed. Neither Tom nor the rest of Team Starco let him forget about the “tent incident” after fighting Meteora in the Musty Mountains.

The prince rolled his eyes and escorted Janna to the Underworld, leaving Star and Marco alone in the slumbering castle. “That was a fun birthday,” she said. “Better than my fifteenth one, for sure.”

“And it’s about to get better.” Marco eyed her. _She’s so beautiful..._ He moved closer and kissed her cheek, the bond thrummed with desire from her too.

“Oh, is that right?” Star grabbed a fistful of his hoodie. “Want me to give you a head start this time?”

“Count to a hundred. In Mewnian.” He relied on the longer, more difficult words to buy him enough time to enact the second part of his birthday plan, one they both looked forward to.

“Alright, Diaz. But you better get moving.”

He raced through the castle, down a maze of corridors and up two flights of stairs, to reach the royal bedchamber located in the secluded Queen’s Hall, her private residence. Its name reflected an antiquated practice where the queen slept separate from her king, whose own room was in the appropriately named King’s Hall on the opposite wing, providing sanctuary for her many lovers, but Moon set a new precedent by letting River stay with her. The bedchamber had since received an update from Star, who made it as bright and roomy as her old bedroom on Earth, full of boy band posters, weapons, and videogames. When Marco opened the door, he quickly made the bed and sent the laser puppies, now a pack of full-grown retrievers, away. Glossaryck left too and took the Book of Spells with him.

“I’ve learned my lesson, and I’m outta here,” he grumbled.

Once all had settled, Marco waited on the bed; his heart raced in anticipation as he sensed her movements in the quiet castle as she hunted. The bond rippled in surprise as she discovered articles of clothing strewn about: ballet slippers, socks, hoodie, shirt, pants… _boxer shorts_. The last one really piqued her interest, and the door practically flew off the hinges when she burst through.

“Well played, Diaz,” she panted, catching her breath.

“Only for you, my queen.” He placed a hand on her reddened cheek. “Have your way with me—I’m all yours.”

The moons and stars danced as the near-everlasting night stretched far into the day, to when the sun eventually rose upon a peaceful late-morning, where a queen slept soundly in her king’s arms.


	3. Chapter 3

That morning, while she bent over the toilet to throw up again, Star remembered the old tales about the Mother Sun and the Wheel of the Year, the dance of Time manifested in the endless cycle of Mewni’s seasons. Humans learned that the seasons were caused by planetary tilt and latitude, but all Mewmans and Monsters knew that it was the sun, the Queen of the Sky, who ripened the crops during the golden days and hid her face to allow storms to water the fields. The seasons followed her lifecycle: Spring welcomed her birth, Summer blossomed as she matured and ruled with an iron fist, and Autumn reached its prime and declined with her. It was Winter who brought her end, when the night killed the sun during Mondarn, the ill-fated solstice, and took dominion over the day. All of creation mourned her passing; the sky turned dark with sorrow, the horizon laid heavily across her remains like a funeral shroud, and Mewni grew sullen and cold. Hope seemed lost, until the next day, when milky rays seeped out of the eastern hills, clinging to the ground for a few moments before disappearing again; a sign that the Wheel of the Year had turned again. And though there would be many cold weeks ahead, bringing pelting ice and driving snow, the mere promise of springtime gladdened the Mewmans and Monsters. They saw the signs everywhere: in the delicate furled buds emerging from skeleton-bare branches, in the reddening face of the sun as she regained her strength, and in the melting snow that was turned to liquid gold by her touch. A reminder that the sun, the Great Mother, never abandoned her charges. That Life came from Death.

Those particular words echoed in Star’s mind, even as the world lurched around her, merging sunlight, snow, and blue bathroom tile into a muddy mess—the color of half-digested meat chunks floating in wastewater. _Life came from Death_. She didn’t just remember the story to comfort herself but to heed a warning. Lady Fate was weaving another prophecy into her life, the first after two years of silence. Star knew the Blood Moon would have more for her and Marco to do as the Seventh Dance, the chosen pair whose destinies influenced Mewni’s fate, but the last thing she needed right now was _more_ responsibility. She had enough to worry about as is, including, now, her health.

She shakily wiped the putrid bile from her pale, quivering lips, trying hard to purge the bitter taste from her mouth. _What’s wrong with me?_ she groaned, fumbling for the handle to flush the latest wave of vomit down the drain. Today marked the second week of her strange illness, which left her nauseous and fatigued from breakfast time to around midafternoon, leaving as quickly as it came. At first, she assumed it was a hangover, but after puking on Sir Higgs during the Kingsguard meeting last week and falling asleep in the middle of a Town Hall shortly after, she cancelled all but her most important engagements and took a break. Marco suggested that her sickness might come from stress, but even rest failed to alleviate her symptoms. And if anything, life became worse since then. The royal families were upset about her absence. Etheria called her a drunkard, blaming the Butterfly tendency to overindulge in revelry for ruining yet another young queen and dragging Mewni towards another Dark Age, the span of weak queens between Queen Festivia the Fun to Queen Estrella the Drafted who left Mewni vulnerable. Aunt Felicity asserted that it was awfully convenient that Star skipped her monthly engagement with the Lucitors but seemed to have plenty of time to party with her friends all night.

With so much at stake today, Star decided to keep her bimonthly meeting with the royal families, even though she worried about how she was going to survive the meeting long enough to introduce her Monster Rights and Restoration Act to the kingdoms, her most ambitious piece of legislation to date. But she had to remain strong. A Butterfly queen was likened to the sun, to the Queen of All Things herself, and it was Star’s job to act as Mewni’s protector, judge, and mother. _Mother_. For some reason, the word sent a chill down her spine.

“Star? What are you doing?” Marco knocked on the door. “You’ve been in there for an hour.”

“Oh, nothing, Marco, just praying to the porcelain gods,” she said, trying hard not to sound scared. An _hour?_ Had that much time really passed?

“Really? Mewmans have porcelain gods too? Are we supposed to sacrifice to them?”

_For fuck’s sake!_ Star grumbled to herself but responded, “Just nevermind, I’ll be out in a sec.”

“Okay. We don’t have too much longer before the meeting.”

She detected his nervous energy through his voice and the bond, reminding Star that today was Marco’s first real royal engagement since his coronation. _Of course, it has to be today_ , she sighed, kicking the empty toilet paper roll across the bathroom floor. Part of her considered rescheduling his appearance, but she couldn’t disappoint her husband, not after how much he helped craft the proposal. Although the law was her idea, conceived when she was still a princess, Marco was the one who spearheaded its development over the past few months, editing her drafts, discussing ideas with Monster leaders to include their voices, and debating lawyers about legal precedents. As much as she wanted to curl into a ball and die, Star had to go through with the meeting for Marco. He deserved recognition.

“ _You seem kinda down, Star. Wanna talk about it?_ ” Marco asked. “ _Are you still not feeling good?_ ”

She sighed, “ _No...._ ”

“ _Wanna see a doctor?_ ”

“ _I’m fine, I promise!_ ” She hated sounding so annoyed, but she didn’t want to dwell on her sickness when there were more important things to do.

Marco recoiled from her outburst. “ _Okay, but if you need to talk, I’m always here._ ”

_And so am I_.

Star saw the Blood Moon rising in the sky, an ominous eye gazing at the last stars struggling against the rising sun. Despite their fading kin, two stars blazed like newly kindled flames, and for a moment, Star swore they were dancing, just like they had in her vision in the Cave of the Blood Moon. _But what does it mean?_ She grew impatient with signs and prophecies, wishing that the Spirits would just _tell_ her what was going on, but she decided that the omen could wait. Right now, she was the Queen of Mewni, the champion of Monster rights, not the Dance of the Sun and Star.

* * *

Star tried to ignore the Blood Moon bleeding through the stained-glass windows, resting its steady glare on her dark blue dress, which was similar to the one she wore to the Prince’s Ball. The crystal stars on the skirt blinked warily, as if they were privy to the universe’s secrets, while the golden hearts and red moons about the hem became deep scarlet. Feeling uneasy, Star shifted on the throne, crossing her matching boots at the ankle. _What do you want from me?_ she asked the Blood Moon, wondering if it would be rude or not to tell it to bother her another time. She didn’t want to make a scene when her most important leaders were all assembled below her at the great mahogany tables that stretched through the hall, one of the many new additions to the throne room.

The Battle of Butterfly Castle completely leveled the entrance and surrounding rooms, and it took a full year before meetings were held in the throne room again. As with many things, Star wanted to pay homage to the past while also updating the aesthetic to show how the monarchy had changed under her rule. Silver-gray walls arched upward into a magnificent dome high above checkered royal blue floors, holding vast stained-glass windows that contained miniature renditions of the queens’ tapestries on one side and pastoral scenes on the other. The design caused great controversy among the Butterflys because it depicted humans, Monsters, and Mewmans together, basking under the light of the sun, moons, and stars. When Etheria tried to cajole the artists into changing the design, Star reminded her that she was the queen and this was her castle; if she wanted scenes of Monsters, Mewmans, and humans having an orgy, then it would be so.

“ _I wouldn’t have let that happen_.” Marco frowned at her current thought.

“ _Not even in the bedroom?_ ” she teased.

“ _No!_ ”

“ _What if they were images of you and me...?_ ”

His face reddened. “ _I don’t wanna see myself like that._ ”

“ _Your loss_ ,” she snickered softly and turned to the familiar faces gathering for the meeting.

Since Star was one of the youngest queens in history, her friends were still princes and princesses, seated beside their royal parents in order of house prestige: Butterfly, Lucitor, Johansen, Spiderbite, Pony Head, Kelpbottom, and Pigeon. Pony Head and Princess Penelope Spiderbite were giggling over the cute knights standing guard; Prince Kelpbottom, Prince Rich Pigeon, and Prince Rock Johansen made bets on horse racing and their own prowesses as young males; and Tom kept to himself, sighing and texting vigorously on his phone. _I hope Janna’s alright_ , Star knew how much the prince missed his girlfriend when they were apart. Other prominent noblemen occupied the second table, along with a few new faces to the royal cabinet. Jackie, Kelly, and Buff Frog represented part of Star’s Next Generation Council, which also included the young royals. Jackie was the Mewni-Earth ambassador; Kelly represented minor principalities, such as the Southern Wilds and Woolandia, her hometown; and Buff Frog and his children founded the Mewman-Monster Ultimate Alliance, which aimed at improving relations between the two groups. Next Generation Council meetings, which took place once a month, were fun and energizing unlike Royal Council meetings, but Star was ruler over the older royals and her detractors too—a fact she reminded herself when she noticed the sneers on the Butterflys’ faces. _And it’s not getting any better_ , she patted the scroll on her lap.

Star swallowed the lump forming in her throat and stood up, signaling the beginning of the meeting. In an instant, the side conversations died down and all eyes turned to her, though they did not dare look at her face. While the royals had differing opinions about her, Star was still the Queen of Mewni, lord over all of them, and they respected her office. “Your Majesties and Your Highnesses, my kings and lords,” Star began with the traditional greeting, “welcome to Butterfly Castle for our bimonthly meeting. I apologize for taking ill for the past several days, and I hope my appearance today will make up for my absence. Now I introduce to you an important matter, one which has been on my heart for a long time. My mother, the late Queen Moon the Undaunted, brought an end to the Mewman-Monster wars, a struggle which has consumed Mewni for almost a thousand years, by defeating Toffee, and I, Queen Star Butterfly, hope to take my mother’s legacy a step further by bringing an end to legal and systemic oppression. Today, I am presenting the Monster Rights and Restoration Act, which will help all Monsters across the kingdom build fulfilling lives for themselves. With your blessings, we can usher in a new era for all Mewnians, one that is fair for all. I now call upon His Majesty King Marco Diaz-Butterfly to announce this proposal.”

Before she could hand the scroll off to Marco, there was a commotion among the Butterflys, and Heartrude stood up to speak. “Excuse me, Your Majesty, but I regret to inform you that the king has no right to speak here.”

_I knew this would happen,_ Star gritted her teeth when she saw the hurt sharpen in Marco’s eyes, and she immediately addressed her uncle. “And why not?” she challenged. “I’m the queen, and I can anoint whomever to speak on my behalf.”

“Sure you can,” King Dave Lucitor, lord of the Underworld, said after taking a sip of wine, “You could even tell that footstool over there to talk, and we’d hang on its every word. But why should you? Why fix what isn’t broken? You and I both know how it’s supposed to be, Your Majesty. The King is better seen and not heard.”

“Wish you’d take your own advice, father,” Tom sneered. “I, for one, would love to hear what King Marco has to say.”

“Yeah, I agree with Demon Boy! Let Marco speak!” Pony Head’s reply rallied the young royals, who all nodded and murmured their support.

Dave sat back in his chair and laced his gnarled fingers together. It was hard to believe that he and Tom were father and son sometimes, both in look and personality. The Lucitors belonged to an ancient race of Mewmanoid beings who were transformed into powerful witches and warlocks by the Underworld, and Dave was a classical example of that ancient line: ghostly pale with dark hair and unblinking blood-red eyes that glowed faintly in light and shadow. His infernal gaze could make anyone feel small, like a cornered mouse, and Star imagined that Dave could see fear—maybe even _taste_ it like a goblet of finely aged wine. If anyone challenged him or the status quo, then they risked running afoul of his Lucitor temper, which unlike Tom’s, was completely unfettered. Everyone in the room had experienced that side of him at least once, especially Marco, so when the royals saw the disapproval etched into Dave’s brow, they quieted and shivered.

Once the room became silent, Dave spoke again, using a voice as smooth as a poisoned drink, “I find your attempts to just change everything, willy-nilly, _charming_. Like something a naïve little girl would come up with during tea-time. It is cute, Your Majesty. _Very_ cute. But cute doesn’t run an empire, cute won’t change how we’ve done things, and cute isn’t going to make the world peace and sunshine. I thought being queen would’ve made you grow up, but nope, you’re the same Star Butterfly who thought marrying a _human_ would be the best thing for the kingdom.”

Marco sat down while the Lucitors and Butterflys laughed, gaining nervous support from royals in the other families. The meeting was turning into a disaster before Star’s eyes, and she was too stunned and sick to move.

Emboldened by the outburst, Etheria spoke, “You ought to listen to His Majesty, my dear great niece. You aren’t a princess anymore. You need to start thinking like a proper queen and stop all this Monster nonsense.”

“But what do you expect from her, Lady Etheria?” one of the Lucitor lords, Sir Brimstone, scoffed. “Monster Love has ruined the throne once before, and it’s doing it again.”

“Or should we say _‘Human_ Love,’” Heartrude added. “We tolerated your silly integration plan, but this is a step too far.”

The room swayed and filled with laughter, causing blackness to encroach Star’s vision. They challenged her authority _and_ Marco during a serious royal meeting. **_The nerve of them!_** Her thoughts snarled, rumbling like thunder building along the horizon. Was she going to let them get away with this? Was she going to let Dave and Etheria undermine her marriage and attempts at reforming Mewni? Or was she going to wipe those cruel grins off their faces… A bolt of magic forked out of her hands and struck the pillar right behind Dave’s head, causing him to roll out of his seat. The royals and knights gasped as Star balled her glowing hands into fists and stepped down to the floor.

“ **Do not cross me,** ” she growled in her Butterfly form voice, which shook the room. “ ** _I_ am Queen Star Butterfly, Protector of the Realm and Mother of Mewni! My word is law, be it from my mouth or someone else’s!**”

The royals shrank in their seats, but Dave laughed. “That’s what I’m talking about,” he cheered. “Finally, someone got her big-girl corset. Such power…if only that were added to my bloodline…”

Star rose her wand, ready to strike, but she felt a hand grab her wrist. Marco’s red moons blazed, matching the concern in his eyes. “Star, look at me,” he said, remarkably calm. “This isn’t like you, and you know it. What would getting revenge do besides make things worse?”

She tried to respond but her mind devolved into a jumble of emotions, memories, and whispers from the Blood Moon. The stars were dancing again, but swirling faster and closer, their faces tidally locked with one another. Her rage amplified as if she were feeling the anger of two other Mewmans clashing inside of her. **_I’m not just a human!_** A new voice growled, and Star became afraid. _This wasn’t me at all..._

“ _Star, take my hand_.” Marco reached for her. “ _Come back to me_.”

The stars stopped and became peaceful again.

“ _I’m here_.” Star exhaled, releasing the tension in her body. _Okay, that was concerning_ , she glanced at the sky but noticed that the Blood Moon was gone.

Marco led her to the throne and addressed the royals, “This meeting is adjourned until Spleenax.”

Heartrude objected, “How dare you speak on behalf of—”

“That’s an order!” Marco glared. “Star’s agreed with me—let’s just go home.”

The Butterflys frowned about the decision and Marco’s audacity to address the queen by her first name, but none argued anymore. The other families departed for their realms without a word, leaving Star, Marco, and their friends in an empty throne room.

“Man, those meetings just keep getting wilder,” Kelly said. “If we didn’t have to maintain the peace, I woulda sliced Dave’s tongue off myself.”

“Janna would’ve loved to pitch in,” Tom smiled at first but then eyed Star nervously. “But are you okay, Starship? Haven’t seen you that upset since we broke up.”

“I…I don’t know,” Star murmured, staring at her trembling hands. _I feel like something’s inside of me_ …

“Oh, don’t worry about it, B-Fly,” Pony Head tried to cheer her up. “I bet you’ll forget it over a mug of ale.”

The offer sounded tempting, but Star couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling lingering after the meeting. “I—I think I need to go to bed.”

“You sure? It’s only like three o’clock.”

“I need to be alone,” Star muttered and ran to her room, ignoring Marco’s cries and the returning Blood Moon.

* * *

There were only two stars in the entire night sky, but they produced enough light to cast dim, blued shadows in the old Butterfly throne room, illuminating the destruction left behind by the great battle. Star could almost feel the crumbling stones vibrate with the sounds of shouting and swords, but that was long ago, and now Time had dealt the final blow to the ruins. Moss and brown ivy clung to the decaying walls, staining them with rusty deposits reminiscent of dried blood stains and eating the last of the silver stone which once gleamed like moonlight. Threadbare tapestries waved limply from creaky moorings, stripped of the pride and color that once made them as handsome and bold as Johansen war-banners. The sense of desolation made Star uneasy, especially when her slippers crunched on broken shards from the shattered stained-glass windows. She was in a Blood Moon dream, and her soul grew restless with anticipation and dread at what task lay ahead of her. The Blood Moon hadn’t spoken to her since she became queen, and its sudden appearance today signaled the start of a new prophecy—a new mystery to uncover.

_But what’s out there anymore?_ She wondered, pausing at the exact same spot where her mother died in her father’s arms. A black pool of Dark Magic remained even after all of these years, setting frost on the floor around it. At first, Star shied away, but the Magic called to her: _Look into my eyes, Dance of the Sun and Star. I can give you the power to save those you love..._

“ _I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Star. That’s how it called to me once_ ,” a voice echoed through the hall, chilling Star’s blood to ice. From the shadows around the queen’s throne, a pair of dark pink spades blazed to life. _Eclipsa!_

Star summoned magic to her fists and eyed the old queen warily. “ _What are you doing here?_ ” she spat. “ _You have no right to be here!_ ”

“ _I come bearing tidings from the Spirits,_ ” Eclipsa replied coolly. “ _They’ve sent you signs, dear, but I’m afraid you’ve been ignoring them to your own peril._ ”

“ _Don’t act like you care about me! You aren’t my granny anymore, not after you betrayed me and killed my mother!_ ”

How could Star forget the dark stain consuming her mother’s body as she gasped for air and clung frantically to the life slipping through her black fingers? Moon should be alive. _She_ should still be queen. She should have had many decades ahead of her, where she would have imparted her wisdom to Star and eventually retired to a manor in the countryside with River. Tears streamed down Star’s cheeks, dripping into the Dark Magic, feeding its bloodlust. _Take your revenge,_ it growled to her. _It’d be easy with your Blood Moon magic._

Eclipsa sighed and slowly moved towards her. “ _The Dark Magic is right,_ ” she said. “ _You could strike me down and sever the connection that brought me here, so you’d never see me again. But I worked really hard on it, you know. Took me quite a while to figure out how to use powerful magic after dying. Most beings, including queens, lose their powers when they die, but then again, I_ am _the most powerful queen in Mewni’s history. I play by my own rules._ ”

“ _I don’t care!_ ” Star snarled. “ _I’m sending you back to wherever you came from!_ ”

“ _Then so be it_.” Eclipsa let her arms drop to her side and shrugged in surrender. “ _But do know that stress and drinking are bad for the baby..._ ”

“ _For the last time, Eclipsa, I—_ ” Star felt her heart leap in her chest, and the rest of the sentence caught in her throat. She must have misheard. “ _What did you say...?_ ” she asked, trembling.

“ _About the connection? Well, you see—_ ”

“ _No... I mean about a baby._ ”

Eclipsa let out an amused laugh, “ _Oh, I know that look, sweetie. I was about your age when I found out about Meteora. I had all the signs you did too—morning sickness, mood swings, fatigue. I’m surprised you haven’t noticed that you skipped a few cycles, Star. You need to slow down and listen to your body._ ”

“ _B-but I thought..._ ” Star realized that she hadn’t had her monthly flow since _before_ Stump Day, which was about nine weeks ago. She thought that stress had impacted her cycle again, but as she thought of the Stump’s ominous words, her night with Marco, the Blood Moon, the dancing stars, it painted a picture she did not want to see. “ _But I just turned eighteen...I’m still a kid. I can’t become a mother right now. Not while I’m a new queen_ ,” she raved, feeling the room spin around her.

When she sought the Blood Moon for an answer, she saw the stars shine brighter, reminding her of the vision from the Cave of the Blood Moon. Two bright, blue stars basking in a golden morning while the sun and its companion star danced. _If Marco and I are the sun and star, then_ …Star wanted to faint.

“ _The Spirits have been warning you for years, Star_ ,” Eclipsa said. “ _You and Marco are quite lucky—most Dances don’t produce children, and none have had children as important as yours. Consider your twin bundles-of-joy the Seventh-and-a-Half Dance. The second Dance of the Stars, if you will_.”

“ _There’s_ two _of them?_ ” Star could scarcely breathe.

Eclipsa nodded, reciting words so ancient Star knew they didn’t originate from her, “ _The fates of two kingdoms rest in your womb, Star. Each shall be powerful in the way the other is not, but they shall be equal in all things. But be warned, divide one from the other and neither shall stand, for their souls are forever bound._ ” 

Star backed away, shaking her head. “ _I can’t do this. Not now. What will my family think?_ ” Or Marco? He wanted to wait until they were twenty-five, or when the kingdom was more stable.

A touch on the shoulder made Star flinch, but she did not pull away when Eclipsa hugged her. “ _Destiny tarries for not one moment longer_ ,” Eclipsa said gently. “ _I know how scary this must be, but I also know you and Marco can get through it. You’re my sweet grandbabies, after all._ ”

Her soothing words made Star feel like a young teenager again, when she visited Eclipsa in the Rose Garden to vent about princess duties, her relationship with Tom, and her confused feelings for Marco. As much as she despised Eclipsa, she had to admit that she was right about everything. _And she’s the closest thing I have to a mother_ , she realized.

Light emerged in the east, causing the castle to fade into morning fog. “ _I must be off then_ ,” Eclipsa said, letting go of Star. “ _I’ll be here if you need me, and, oh, give Marco my congratulations on the babies!_ ”

* * *

Star woke with a start, shivering as the cold winter air raised goosebumps on her clammy skin. She had kicked the covers off in her sleep, but Marco’s side of the bed remained neatly tucked in place; he must have left a while ago. _What a nightmare!_ Star took in a deep breath and smoothed her frazzled hair. It wasn’t real, she told herself. It was just a vivid dream brought on by stress, high emotions, and a lack of alcohol. Maybe she should lay off drinking; it was giving her withdrawal symptoms.

Sajak, the leader of the laser dogs, ambled towards her and stuck his slimy wet nose against her belly. “ _Arr_ ,” he whined as if he knew too.

_Maybe it wasn’t just a dream_ , Star closed her eyes and dipped down into the Void of Fate, seeing the strings that bound all things in the universe together as cords in Fate’s tapestry. She concentrated on the network that radiated from her and deciphered the various shades of blue that signaled which bonds were deep or shallow. The strings connecting her to Etheria and the other Butterflys were nearly white. _Of course,_ Star wrinkled her nose at them and moved on. One string stood out from the rest, shining brighter than the morning sun and redder than brilliant rubies—her Blood Moon bond to Marco. When she looked closer, she saw a new addition right next to it, buried deep inside her belly. Two dark blue threads becoming red…

Star’s eyes opened wide, and her whole body shook as a million thoughts and emotions flooded her at once. She was overwhelmed but also _happy_. Overjoyed.

“I’m…pregnant.”


	4. Chapter 4

_I’m...pregnant._

Outside the sun was rising, spilling its orange warmth over the hills and onto the Mewnian plain, where frosted fields and waking towns eagerly awaited the morning’s birth, but Star experienced none of the new day’s splendor. Dread replaced the spurt of joy bursting in her heart when the lingering stars faded into the indigo sky, chased east to west by the spreading light, and she pleaded to the Spirits to turn the Wheel of Time back—just this once. It was a vain prayer, she knew, for Time only moved in one direction, from known to unknown, and erasing a single night could not unmake the truth growing in her belly. That she was pregnant…with _twins_. Her lips grew pale and trembling, even after the words, mere clanging syllables that tumbled heavily from her tongue, had long evaporated into the morning air, gone too with the past.

She was pregnant with twins at only eighteen years old, while she was a little more than a kid herself. She was pregnant with twins only two years into her reign, which was plagued with bickering from the other kingdoms’ royals and the spiteful lords in her own family. She was pregnant with twins right at the moment the Blood Moon called her again, ready to reveal another demanding prophecy that would require her utmost attention in order to keep Mewni safe. From the moment she took her vows during the coronation, Star knew that she would be the Mother of her kingdom, but she didn’t expect to become a mother to the whole universe _and_ children on top of it. Not so soon.

_Why does everyone depend on me so much?_ She sighed loudly, glaring at the pair of stars stubbornly clinging to the horizon. Why couldn’t they go away—come back in five years or so when she had her life and kingdom under control? A night of passion shouldn’t have caused such a mistake….

She frowned at herself and shook her head. No, not a mistake, that was going too far, she decided and turned to the sky again, noticing that the stars had vanished. They didn’t need to follow her around anymore; she accepted her call. _I can’t hate you two_ , Star managed a slight smile and let her hand drift to the curve of her lower belly, right where she knew her children were slumbering, unaware of the life that awaited them and the powerful Blood Moon that bound them together. But Star knew. Their kindling magic exploded to life in the palm of her hand, conjuring images of vast wilderness teeming with life, of Mewmans and Monsters living in peace at last, and of the universe rejoicing under the light of the Blood Moon, united just as the twins bridged together two dimensions and two peoples. Her little princess and prince—the children of Earth and Mewni. Now Star understood that the vision from the cave was theirs too.

Her smile grew wider, connecting her glowing cheekmarks. “Welcome, my little stars,” she crooned to them. “Sorry I’m a little overwhelmed, but it’s nice to meet you.”

The magic between them surged again as if in response, though Star knew that they couldn’t hear her yet. The laser dogs, led by Sajak, their leader, gathered around and wagged their tails, fidgeting with excitement at the arrival of their younger siblings. As a Spell Caster, Star had created many things, from explosive incantations to living beings, but the twins were her magnum opus, made with the love she shared with Marco. _What am I going to tell him?_ she wondered. What was she going to tell her family? The twins were half-Mewman and that alone would send the royal court into chaos, especially since the last half-blooded child was Meteora….

“Meteora was a special case,” Glossaryck said, appearing in a puff of glitter from the notebook on Star’s nightstand. “The Spirits gave her a prophecy through a Monster oracle—a pretty straightforward, foolproof one, if you ask me—but the Butterflys wrote their own doom by trying to intervene against Fate. The royal line wasn’t meant to remain ‘pure’ but oh well, guess we’re back on track with those two. Or maybe it was _always_ intended to be this way—I dunno, I’m not privy to that type of information. The Blood Moon always does its own thing, y’know.” 

“Oh,” Star replied.

“By the way, please use less pink and purple ink. I get that this isn’t the old Book of Spells, but the colors hurt my eyes,” he complained. “And quit using gel pens. I detest glitter.”

“You’re lucky I had the Notebook of Spells on standby or you’d be homeless.”

When the former Book of Spells, which was founded by Queen Skywynne, was destroyed by Toffee years ago, Glossaryck’s physical incarnation became corrupted, leaving him unable to reason and say anything other than _Globgor_ for an entire year. At first, Star feared that he would be stuck in his infantile state forever, leaving future princesses without a guide, but after the Battle of Butterfly Castle, Glossaryck revealed the truth: he never lost his mind or his speech at all. He’d only acted crazy to encourage Star to face her problems on her own, and as much as she hated his approach, it was the only way her younger self would have learned such a valuable lesson—one she needed to become an effective queen. 

“I don’t need to live in a book. The Book of Spells is for _you_ , not me,” he said. “Regardless, congrats on the kiddos, kiddo. I’ve been waiting for this moment ever since the Blood Moon Ball. The future’s gonna be wild with those two. I wish Mortals had my foresight.” He laughed warmly as if he’d just heard a joke carried on the morning breeze.

“You could always tell me,” Star suggested innocently.

He stopped laughing and shook his head. “Violates too many rules. Oh, and no asking me for baby advice—not my department whatsoever. I know nothing about birthing babies unless you count having them spring from your head as labor. I only created the Magic High Commission to free up my schedule. The Spirits were crazy to think I could control dimensional travel, manage space-time, lock up dangerous creatures, _and_ train Butterfly princesses to use magic at the same time, so I thought one day, ‘ _hmm,_ I can create life too.’ And so I did. Such ungrateful bastards... I gave them free-will and immortality and tasks to do, and they almost screw up the whole timeline. Maybe they’re going through a teenage phase after all these eons—I dunno.”

“Being a dad sounds tough.”

“Easily my worst job. All of my children are horrible to deal with: Rhombulus is as dumb as bricks, Omnitraxus Prime is a pompous know-it-all, Lekmet is dead, and Hekapoo…don’t get me started with her boyfriend issues. Always chasing after Mortals and putting them through those silly trials… _blech!_ They aren’t even necessary to get a pair of dimensional scissors, but Hekapoo likes to see if she can lure a potential lover from their mundane life to her bed. Marco _really_ impressed her, but he never showed interest, much to her dismay. She’s yet to get over him.”

_Too bad_ , Star felt her Mewberty wings pulse under her hair as ancestral bloodlust clouded her vision and made her hot with fury. The first queens fought over their mates—often to the death—and she would gladly face Hekapoo any day over the right to be with Marco.

“Easy, Star, Hekapoo’s a lover, not a fighter,” Glossaryck assured her. “The point is this: children exist to test their parents. If I were you, I’d start assembling a support network because it’ll only go downhill from here. Be grateful that you _have_ that option. Spirits are lousy parents—myself included—but creating life is different from _conceiving_ life. The latter is much more involved.” A bell tolled in the distance, causing Glossaryck to glance at the clock on the wall. “Look at the time, gotta get my morning pudding in. Don’t forget to practice your wandless magic.”

He disappeared into the Book of Spells, and the following silence made Star uneasy again. She didn’t want to be alone with such monumental news. It needed to be shared. She needed support from others, but from who? She wasn’t ready to tell Marco just yet, Tom was likely busy with his prince duties, and Pony Head would give terrible advice. _I know just who to call_ , Star got out of bed and dressed before facing the enchanted mirror on the other side of the room.

“Call, Jackie,” she commanded while teasing the ends of her hair, pretending that she wanted them to all lie in the same direction. Her fingers turned purple with magic as they went to work, helping the awkward moments between rings pass quicker until, at last, Jackie’s face appeared, surrounded by stacks of textbooks and neatly organized files.

“Hey, Star, what’s up?” Jackie’s words were briefly muffled by rustling papers and a falling pencil. “Oops, sorry,” she muttered when her phone slid on its side. “The desks in these dorm rooms are criminally small.”

“It’s all good,” Star replied. “I was just wondering if you’re free. Need to talk to you about something.”

Jackie frowned at the word _something_ and leaned back in her creaky rolling chair. “I have a feeling this isn’t about the meeting,” she said. “My classes are done for the morning, and I’m tired of looking at microbiology, so sure, come over.” 

As soon as the call ended, Star squeezed into a cramped dorm room scarcely big enough for the bunk bed, desks, and mini-fridge crowded within. The bland walls were the color of wet sand, and the room carried the enthusiasm of it too—cluttered with discarded papers, opened textbooks, and bookbags so swollen with homework that they’d become disfigured, the zippers sliding off the track. The overall atmosphere was heavy and tense, salty with sweat, but the wall on Jackie’s side, peppered with newspaper clippings and photos from Earth and Mewni, brought specks of joy like stars in a night sky. Star reminisced on days long passed as she briefly glanced at each one, not needing more than a half-second to recall the vivid moments captured by each: her friends’ graduations, group trips to Paris and Mewni, and Jackie’s various sporting wins. All of which occurred in a span of about two years. Two years that felt like lifetimes but flashed in her mind in mere seconds. _It’s all happening so quickly_ , Star thought, pursing her lips.

“It’s amazing how young we were then,” Jackie said wistfully, her face buried in a textbook the size of an anvil. “I know we’re _still_ young, but with all the stuff we’ve been through, it feels like we’re approaching fifty already.”

“If that were true, then our lives would be over,” Star said. “It’s uncommon for most Mewmans to live much longer than that.”

“I hope to be a part of the solution one day,” Jackie said, swiveling her chair to face Star. “Humans aren’t too different from Mewmans, so maybe all this stuff I have to learn for medical school will be useful. The only reason people are living longer now is because of access to modern medicine, and I’d like to share that knowledge with my second home. But enough of that, make yourself at home, Star. Got beer in the fridge…but don’t tell anyone.”

“Can’t.” Star watched the confusion wrinkling her friend’s thin brow, and she took in a deep breath before relaying the news. “I need to lay off the alcohol because I’m pregnant…with twins.”

For a moment, the room was quiet and still, not even the chair creaked when Jackie leaned back with widened eyes. “Holy _shit!_ ” she squealed. “I mean you and Marco _are_ married and stuff, but goddamn, I’m so excited! I bet Marco’s thrilled because I am! I’m gonna be an aunt! C’mere—” she pulled Star into a hug. “I’m really happy for you.” But when she realized that the young queen did not return the same gesture, she let go. “Something wrong?”

“I wouldn’t say something’s wrong,” Star said as she sat in the beanbag chair just across from the desk, tapping her boots together. “It’s just I didn’t want to become a mother right now—not at eighteen. And then how am I supposed to raise _two_ kids while being the queen of a divided kingdom and while trying to retain my sanity? And don’t get me started about how my family is going to react to the news…They’re hoping that Marco and I can’t have children together so they can force me to marry Tom.”

“Hey, look at me.” Jackie joined Star on the beanbag chair and wrapped an arm around her. “It’s going to be okay. I can feel how stressed you are, and I completely understand. Out of all of us, you’ve had to grow up the quickest. Even with my classes and responsibilities as an ambassador and RA, it’s probably not even a hundredth of what you go through.”

“It’s not even a _millionth_.”

Jackie laughed gently and then said more seriously, “You get what I mean. Back to what I was saying, I know it’s gonna be tough, but if anyone can raise a family, rule a kingdom, and keep your crappy in-laws in line, it’s you. And you’re not in this alone. You have Marco and all of us to be there whenever you need us. Chloe and I would love to babysit—as long as we don’t have to study.”

“Thanks, Jackie. I feel less overwhelmed now.” Star let out a slow exhale, releasing the tension in her shoulders.

“It’s what friends do.”

“What’s this? I thought Marco was the King of Safety.” It was Janna, leaning in the doorway, sipping off a can of soda. “Don’t gimme that look, guys, I heard Jackie shrieking from across the hall, and I had to come see what’s up. Congrats on the babies, Star—I know you and Marco musta worked super hard to make ‘em.”

“Oh, you know it,” Star giggled. “I have to keep my man ready for Mewberty at all times.”

“I bet you do,” Janna said with a smirk. “So twins, huh? Can’t believe you have two crammed in there. Any guesses on what they are? Have a favorite?”

“Actually, I totally know,” she replied. “One’s a boy and the other’s a girl—I can sense them with my magic. And no, I don’t have a favorite. I love both of my little ones equally.”

“Wait,” Jackie interrupted. “If you can sense them with magic, then that outburst yesterday…was one of them speaking through you?”

_I’m not just a human!_

Star remembered the voice coming from within her, radiating with power and strength like a summer’s storm, full of reckless frenzy that reminded her of herself. She assumed it was her daughter, the eldest of the two and the direct inheritor of her legacy, but as she learned to distinguish the twins’ magic from one another, she recognized a different reality; one that leapt under her fingertips when they slid to her belly, rippling like a comet tearing across the sky, faster than wind and brighter than the sun—destructive, raw, and incredible.

“That was my son,” Star said, more to herself than to her friends, who glanced at each other when she spoke. “Male Butterflys aren’t supposed to have magic _at all_ , or if they do, it’s not strong enough to be usable, but…my son is like _me._ He’s a Spell Caster, and damn, he’s _strong._ ”

_Each shall be powerful in the way the other is not_ , she remembered Eclipsa’s words, chewing her lip. If her son was magically gifted, then her daughter…

“Aw, he’s a little Mama’s Boy.” Janna’s nudge brought Star back to the moment, and she shoved the thought away for later. “If I had a son, I hope he’d take after me, so I can teach him _all_ of my tricks.”

“I’m sure Tom would appreciate that,” Jackie snorted but stopped when she saw the scowl on Janna’s face, heavy with unspoken disappointment. “Oh, right, sorry,” she murmured, tapping a pencil on her knee. “I forgot about—”

“—No, don’t,” Janna cut her off and began pacing. “It’s not your fault Tom is a bloody coward in the face of his family but is brave enough to run off on quests and win battles. I’m not naïve about the risks, but, for Pete’s sake, if Marco could become a prince, then why can’t I receive the same recognition? I went to the Musty Mountains, fought Mina and Eclipsa, and did all that other shit too!”

Embers sparked from her feet as her anger became the swirling darkness that dimmed the lights in the room and drew clouds over the sun outside. Chilling cold, sharper than the deepest winter, raised goosebumps on Star’s arms and legs and pricked her skin like nipping frost. _What’s happening?_ She sensed magic radiating from Janna, purple as twilight, but it seemed different—cruel and wrathful as if emerging from deep within the bosom of the world, where souls writhed in agony.

Jackie reached out and grabbed Janna’s wrist. “Hey, hey, it’ll be okay,” she said, struggling to remain calm for both of their sakes. “I know waiting sucks, but Tom is trying to protect you from what Marco went through. It was hard enough for him to watch his best friend face Dave; imagine how he’d feel if something happened to you.”

“ **I can take care of myself!** ” The ground shook when Janna snatched her hand away, cracking the laminate floor. “ **I have my own magic. I’m not a helpless human!** ”

“No one’s saying you can’t do it, Janna. Please listen to us!” Star panicked when she saw the fire glinting blood-red in her friend’s eyes. _This feels more like Tom than her_ , she remembered her ex-boyfriend’s infamous temper, a terrible trait passed down the Lucitor line from father to son.

Shadows danced as purple-black flames erupted around the room, hissing, spitting, and racing like hellhounds, spreading darkness wilder than midnight. In an instant, it encroached the beanbag chair, devouring it whole just after Star and Jackie scrambled into the top bunk above them. They huddled together and looked on helplessly as the room turned into a miniature version of the Underworld.

“Alright, Janna, this is going a bit too far!” Jackie shouted over the roar of the inferno. “You’re gonna get us kicked out of school!”

“ **As if I belong here!** ” Janna growled. “ **I’m the future of the Underworld—it is my right!** ”

“Geez, I didn’t know she cared so much about this,” Jackie muttered.

“That’s because it isn’t her,” Star answered so calmly that it surprised herself. “There’s someone else speaking through her, venting their frustration about Tom’s passivity.”

“What do you mean by someone— _Oh!_ Oh, please don’t tell me Janna’s pregnant too.”

“Look!” Star pointed at the black smoke gathering above Janna’s head, crowning her with one of the most sacred emblems of the royal Lucitor family: a three-pronged trident. It was not only the king’s scepter, the physical manifestation of his might and authority, but also an artifact from the First King himself, the one fondly remembered as the legendary “Star Maker,” who brought light into the darkness below Mewni on the First Night by creating the crystal stars embedded into the roof of the Underworld. It was with this trident that the Star Maker subdued the Underworld and fathered a kingdom, protecting his people from the powerful demons who once ruled the realm with cruelty and bloodshed, and out of reverence, each firstborn Lucitor had the symbol tattooed on his right arm. The _royal mark_ , as Tom called it when he showed it to Star once, distinguished the king’s heir from his other sons.

Jackie shook her head. “You gotta be kidding me… _How?_ ”

“I dunno,” Star replied, “but it’s common for Lucitor princes to be around the same age as the next Butterfly princess.”

“Sure, I can see that, but for Janna to be pregnant right now means she conceived around when you did.”

_The fates of two kingdoms rest in your womb, Star_ , Eclipsa whispered the prophecy in her ear. _Remember that._

“Now you see why I date girls,” Jackie added. “Okay, so how do we get her—the kid—to calm down?”

“Just follow my lead.” Star rose clumsily to her feet, balancing on the edge of the bed, and spoke in a formal voice, “Hail, Prince Lucitor, grandson of the king, it is I, your Queen who speaks to you and welcomes you to my kingdom.”

“And I do too, Prince Lucitor,” Jackie replied hastily. “Welcome to Earth. I see that you’re very strong and very powerful, but could you please not burn my stuff—or my roommate’s? It’s not very noble of you.”

The fire and darkness subsided immediately, leaving not a trace of their existence behind, and Star and Jackie breathed a sigh of relief. Janna, on the other hand, collapsed to the floor, panting heavily. “Okay, what the hell just happened?” she groaned, clutching her head. “Dammit, it feels like I’m both hungover and possessed by a demon.”

_Do you wanna say it?_ Jackie shot Star a quick glance, and the queen inhaled slowly, trying to think of the best way to tell her friend the inconvenient truth—one that would change her relationship with Tom forever. She remembered how Eclipsa spoke to her last night—full of compassion, understanding, and support—and channeled that same energy. _It’s no different than delivering an address at a Town Hall meeting,_ she inhaled sharply and began, “Okay, this is going to be a lot to take in, but, in a way, you _are_ kinda possessed by a demon.”

“Not the first time,” Janna muttered after cursing under her breath. “Just tell me what kind and I’ll blast it into Oblivion with a few spells.”

“It’s not _that_ kind of demon. It’s your son.”

“Son?” Janna started to hyperventilate. “What do you mean _son?_ ”

Jackie took her hand. “What Star’s trying to say is that you’re pregnant with Tom’s child.”

“But how? _Why?_ I can’t have a fuckin’ kid while I’m in college and, hell, we’re just dating! I swear to god, if this is another mind-trick prank, I’ll roast that sonofabitch’s ass!”

“It’s not a trick,” Star said seriously. “I can sense his magic and so can the twins. Their fates are bound together somehow.”

“This isn’t happening! Goddammit! Doesn’t human contraception work on demons?” Janna lashed out, and the scent of her fear, pungent and bitter, set Star on edge. She wasn’t used to seeing her friend this terrified of anything. While still learning demon magic, Janna once faced Mina alone once, showing her courage and prowess with her new abilities, but here, she seemed defeated. She shrunk into a ball and hugged her knees, grinding her teeth.

Jackie shrugged. “Don’t ask me—I’m not a gynecologist, and I doubt one would have an answer to that. But look, it’ll be okay. You have me and Star, and we’re gonna be here for you no matter what.”

“We’re in the same carriage,” Star encouraged her. “I’m not letting you go through this alone.”

“Can’t say I’m thrilled to be a mother,” she muttered through her clenched jaw, “but, sure, it’s kinda cool that I’m probably the first person to carry a demon child. I’m not letting Tom off the hook for knocking me up, however. C’mon, Star, let’s go neuter our menfolk—without anesthesia too. Wanna lend some medical knowledge, Jackie?”

She shook her head. “‘Do harm’ is the first part of the Hippocratic oath, and I’m not touching Marco or Tom’s junk.”

“Yeah…it’s probably better for Mewni if Marco remains unaltered,” Star said. “You don’t want my Mewberty cravings getting outta hand.” 

“Suit yourself.” Janna shrugged. “Fuck, I need a drink after all of this—or a glass of nonalcoholic, boring-ass soda.”

Jackie reached for her blue dimensional scissors. “Guess a trip to Giuseppe’s is in order. Oh, that’s right, Star, you’ve never been there. Giuseppe’s is an Italian place down the street from campus with an authentic 1950s soda fountain inside. It’s got the best soda anywhere outside of the Tavern at the End of the Multiverse.”

“Hopefully, it’s a little less gloomy,” Star said, remembering the dingy restaurant that floated at the outer edge of the ever-expanding universe, straddling the line between Existence and Oblivion.

Jackie shuddered. “I promise there isn’t any existential dread at Giuseppe’s. We’ve had plenty of that already.”

“I wouldn’t mind walking through the Event Horizon though,” Janna scowled and grumbled. “Ever think how relaxing it must be to not exist?”

“You don’t mean that, Jan.” Jackie responded with a jab. “Anyways, are you coming, Star?”

“ _Star? Where are you?_ ” Marco suddenly called to her through the bond. “ _You’re supposed to be resting._ ”

“ _I was just visiting Janna and Jackie,_ ” she told him. “ _Meet me in the meadow, I need to talk to you_.”

He grew concerned, and Star imagined his thick eyebrows furling over his eyes. “ _Is everything alright? I can feel you trembling._ ”

“ _It’s something that needs to be said in person. I’ll be home shortly._ ” Once Star finished their chat, she replied to Jackie, “Maybe another time. I need to face the music, so to speak.”

“I understand,” Jackie said with a nod. “Do whatcha gotta do. Good luck with everything, Star. I hope Marco doesn’t faint.”

After saying her goodbyes, Star entered her secret place, a hidden meadow tucked in the thick forest along the southern edge of her kingdom, as far from castle life as a Mewman could travel on horseback in one day. Not even the tallest spires from Butterfly Castle could peer above the screen of black pine trees that stabbed into the pink sky above, where the sun sat and turned the winter-russet meadow golden. It was one of the few places on Mewni where Star felt free. She carefully waded deeper into the tall, wilted grass, which crunched under her boots, hoping not to disturb the herds of deer and unicorns browsing near the tree line. The Mewnian red deer were a special sight to behold this late in the winter, for the magnificent stags had lost their crowning antlers and were as bald as the hinds, the females they once guarded in harems during the rut. They constantly tasted the air for predators, restless from their seasonal vulnerability, while the hinds relaxed and enjoyed the day’s warmth. A golden stallion nearby tossed his head when Star passed by, and she spied the pregnant mares gathered at his side. _Looks like Sol is going to be a daddy too_ , she grew excited at the thought of his foals racing around the meadow in spring.

A few minutes later, Marco stepped into their hidden world, bringing a blanket to lay on and an extra coat for Star. Sunlight rested on his shoulders, bringing out the subtle reddish tones in his dark brown hair and eyes, which matched the glow of his moon-shaped cheekmarks. _My handsome king,_ she sighed, sending a wisp of condensation into the cold air. Despite her family’s misgivings, Marco was a fine catch, and judging by how much attention he received from unwed maidens around the kingdoms, Star knew that many would love to trade places with her. But only she carried his children, the heirs to the throne who would continue their bloodlines long after their names passed into song and legend. Mewni’s future was now forever tied to the fate of Earth and all non-Mewmans.

“ _Are you okay?_ ” Marco asked when he tried to pry into her thoughts. “ _Is there any reason why you’re shutting me out?_ ”

“Come with me,” she said aloud and led him to a place where the ground swelled into a gentle knoll by a creek.

By now, the sun had begun her descent from her heavenly throne, calling the brightest stars out of hiding even though the afternoon was still only four hours’ young. But of all the constellations, which were but faint shapes imagined by a practiced eye, Star found her drawn to the Two Lovers, perched high in the north. Every Mewnian knew the tragic tale of the Butterfly princess and her peasant lover who were caught up into the heavens when the princess’s vengeful family tried to separate them, but few knew the truth behind the story. The princess and her lover were the Sixth Dance—the Dance of the Stars—chosen by the Blood Moon about 667 years before it chose Star and Marco. And even now, it called another pair, the twins kindling in her womb, who were now destined to become the second incarnation of that Dance. _What does the Blood Moon want with my little ones?_ Star wondered, feeling the mountains call her whole family this time, showing images of windswept peaks high above the Southern Wilds.

“ _Star?_ ” Marco eyed her warily. “ _Please tell me what’s wrong._ ”

She chewed her bottom lip raw as she turned to face him. _Here it goes,_ she exhaled loudly and grabbed both of his hands. “Marco,” she began, “you know how I’ve been kinda sick lately?”

“Oh, have you seen a doctor? If not, I’ve been reading up on digestive disorders and—”

“—I’m not actually sick,” she interrupted him. “You see…I’m pregnant.”

“That’s nothing to worry about. I’m sure there’s—” His face froze mid-sentence as he finally processed her words, and she felt the bond become jumbled with emotions from his side. “Y-you’re _pregnant?_ ” His lips trembled.

“Yes, my love,” she said, kissing his cheek. “You’re going to be a father.”

For several moments, Marco didn’t move; he scarcely breathed. Star let go of his hands and began to pick at her nails, waiting for a response. Was he that upset with her? “Look, Marco, I know we’re super young but—”

Her lips were still by a kiss, and she smiled when his arms wrapped around her, pulling her in close. “Star Butterfly, this is, by far, the best moment of my entire life,” Marco’s voice shook as he teared up. “We’re going to be parents! I was beginning to think it wasn’t possible.”

“Never listen to Aunt Etheria,” Star replied. “Eclipsa had a child with a Monster, so, of course, it had to be possible that we could.”

“My Sex Ed class never covered marrying aliens.”

“Well, it should have.”

“Now I get it, you were having _morning sickness_.” Marco realized. “How’d I miss that?”

“Hey, I had no idea until this morning,” she said. “I only found out after feeling their royal magic forming.”

“ _Their?_ ” he gasped, turning pale again. “There’s more than one?”

“That’s the real surprise, Marco, I’m having twins. A boy and a girl. And they both have— _Marco!_ ”

Before she finished, he passed out, still holding her hands. Sighing, she poked him with the wand. “Come on, drama king. I’m not in the mood to become a single mama of twins.”

“ _Twins?_ ” he whispered as he roused. “We’re really having _twins?_ ”

“Yes, twins.” Star laid down with him and rested her head on his heaving chest. “They both have magic, even our son.”

“I thought male Butterflys aren’t born with magic unless they have the Mewnian version of Klinefelter Syndrome?”

“I thought so too, but our son’s a little rebel just like me,” Star boasted. “He’s not letting age-old traditions stop him.”

“I hope it doesn’t stop either of them.”

They grew silent, watching the stars rise over their secret place, both suddenly withdrawn as they reflected on what lay ahead. Star knew her relatives and the other royals would be very upset that she and Marco defied the odds by having children, and just thinking of their derision made her stomach twist. The Blood Moon appeared pale in the sky like a bloodless corpse.

Marco squeezed her hand. “ _I know there’s a lot of pressure on us from the kingdom, the royals, and the Blood Moon, but I promise, Star, that I’ll protect our family with my life. Forever and always._ ”

_Our family_. She smiled at his words and then said, “I promise that too. We can face anything as long as we’re together. We are the Seventh Dance, after all.”

They stayed together until the night chased the last of the sun away and filled the sky with millions of stars, whose cold fire turned the meadow silver. And it was there on that patch of grass miles away from the castle, where Star and Marco once affirmed their love and consummated it under the Blood Moon after the Prince’s Ball, that the second Dance of the Stars began and that their destinies were forever sealed.


	5. Chapter 5

For the hundredth time that afternoon, Tom flicked the cheap plastic pen lying on the table in front of him, following it with his eyes as it rolled away at first and then returned back to him like one of the obedient hunting hounds from his family’s kennel, hissing against the mahogany. Mildly amused, he smirked to himself with a soft grunt, mindful to remain quiet, lest he wanted to be reprimanded by the king, who sat as still and straight as an owl, his unblinking gaze leering at Queen Star as if she were prey. _What a fucking creep_ , Tom thumped his tail against the chair and returned his attention to the pen, wondering if you could send it sailing at Sir Seahorse’s stupid round face and smack his muzzle. That would stop the meeting for sure and put everyone out of their misery.

As a young princeling, he was reared on the stories of his famous forefathers, the noble kings of the Underworld, who founded the kingdom with diplomacy and, when needed, the sword. They were such colorful characters—brave, skilled, popular with women—and Tom was once deluded into thinking that he would spend his adult life riding into battle against demons, fighting rival monarchs, and wooing princesses. He’d make a name for himself just like the Star Maker, King Draconius, King Ignatius II, King Dante, and so forth. But nope, there was no such fortune for him. Dante was the last true warrior-king, a champion who participated in daring exploits and war-making, but he died during an ill-fated campaign against General Seth of Septarsis ordered by Queen Festivia. His death marked the beginning of the inevitable decline for both the Lucitor and Butterfly royal families, reducing them to spoiled rich people who would rather sit around all day, blabber about non-important issues, and flaunt their wealth at royal balls than _actually_ lead. Ruminating on his lot in life only made the blood roar louder in his ears, and Tom accidentally flicked the pen too hard, causing it to smack the captain of his father’s Kingsguard on the forehead. The knight didn’t flinch.

“Will you pay attention?” Dave rebuked Tom with a grating hiss under his breath that was so quick that none of the other royals seemed to notice.

“Yes, sir.” Tom immediately sat up, pressing his sore back and royal top-knot, the traditional hairstyle for a Lucitor prince with long hair, against the cold wood of the chair.

Dave replied with what could only be considered a strange grimace, a weird movement of his pale lips that treaded the unsteady water between a sneer and a smile, and Tom let out a sigh of relief when his father’s piercing red glare left him. _That was a close one_ , he thanked the hallowed Lords of Death for his luck and abandoned the pen.

Maybe he should pay attention to whatever Seahorse, the new captain of King Pony Head’s Kingsguard, had to say—a good prince studied his allies—but everyone in the kingdoms knew that Seahorse’s appointment had less to do with his military prowess and more to do with his relationship to Princess Pony Head. She clearly pulled a _TomStar_ , as Starship called it, rebounding with Seahorse when her relationship with Lord Hayloft, a very handsome royal in her father’s court, ended last summer. All of the tabloids across Mewni covered the incident in sensational detail, but they turned a blind eye to Pony Head’s newest lover despite Seahorse’s low station and doltish demeanor. All while continuing to rag on Star’s marriage to Marco. _Hypocrites_. But Tom knew that hypocrisy was just the nature of royals and laziness their virtue. Perhaps the monarchy should have died with Dante on the battlefield, but what would replace it? Democracy? Fat chance that would work.

Seahorse continued peddling Reflectacorp Mobile Technology, and Tom tried his hardest to keep himself from falling asleep or causing the knight to spontaneously combust. The meeting was scheduled to end soon, so he figured that he could play nice and vent about Pony Head’s new boy toy over cornshakes with his friends later—provided that they didn’t die of boredom in the next hour. Star visibly yawned to signal her displeasure and shared a quick glance with Marco, who kept himself busy scribbling notes on a legal pad. Tom noticed the smile beaming on his face and wondered if the corners of his mouth had grown tired of his perpetual glee. Of course, he understood _why_ Marco was so happy, and Tom couldn’t help but purr slightly himself as he remembered the night he learned about his honorary niece and nephew over the phone. _Twins_. Every other word that spewed from Marco’s mouth had been _twins_. Twins this. Twins that. Starship was pregnant with twins. His best friend’s excitement was so contagious that Tom felt like _he_ was going to be a father himself, but he also sensed the anxiety underneath his friends’ joy.

The Butterfly and Lucitor royal families, the two most powerful and influential forces on Mewni besides the tides and gravity, remained vocal critiques of Star’s marriage to Marco, and they continuously sought ways to split them apart. Etheria evoked the Promise once—an old pact made between the First Queen of the Butterflys and King Lucius Hades Lucitor I, to unite their families through marriage together within a thousand years—but neither Tom nor Star listened to her nonsensical ramblings. How could anyone believe the old crone about magical contracts—the kind of stuff found in fairytales? If Etheria had been born anything but a Butterfly, she would’ve been laughed to scorn.

And that was the problem. Because of their position, no one challenged the Butterflys or Lucitors, resulting in halfhearted compliance from everyone else on Mewni. If Etheria or Dave wanted a false story about Marco in the tabloids, it was printed. If they wanted to spread claims that humans couldn’t father children with Mewman women, then people believed it. If they wanted everyone to believe that a Butterfly-Lucitor marriage was the only way to save the dimension, then royals lobbied for it, putting constant pressure on Tom to go along with their plans. _You liked Her Majesty once, Prince Thom_ as, King Kelpbottom remarked once during a meeting about trade. _We all remember how you looked at her during the Silver Bell Ball, and it’s a shame you’re still a bachelor. Aren’t you looking for a wife?_

He wanted to tell them about Janna, but he held his tongue. In hindsight, he should’ve been honest. He should have stood up and proudly proclaimed that he, the Prince of the Underworld, was committed to the most perfect woman in the universe, Janna Ordonia. A _human._ That’s right—one of _them._ She deserved to be by his side as his princess, seated high upon the Obsidian Throne where she would one day rule as the Underworld’s queen and his equal, but he wimped out each time, too afraid of what his family members would say. Too afraid of his own father, the same king who forced Marco to live out his worst nightmare out of retaliation for Star choosing him over his son, whom he’d groomed to be her husband since birth. Janna insisted that she could face Dave, but even the strongest demon magic wasn’t _Lucitor_ magic. The King of the Underworld was as powerful as a Butterfly Queen but unlimited in his imaginative cruelty. He could rain fire down from the heavens, steal the air from a victim’s lungs, force someone to vomit their lower intestines, and worse. Tom shuddered to think of what his letch of a father would do to Janna if he trapped her in a Hell Casting spell; he’d be powerless to stop it…

A sudden clamor in the hall caught Tom’s attention and his ears swiveled towards the door as the attending Kingsguard welcomed Vice Captain Higgs and her squadron. Defeat glinted dimly in Higgs’s piercing green eyes and hung heavily in the blackened bags that drooped onto her scarred cheeks, where dried blood mixed with grit. Nervous, the royals whispered quickly to each other, spreading fanciful speculations about Monster attacks, but they quieted down when Higgs kneeled before the throne.

“Forgive my trespass, Your Majesty.” Sir Higgs kept her eyes lowered out of respect. “But I come bearing urgent news.”

“Can it not wait?” Sir Andrew, Captain of the Kingsguard, admonished his former squire. “It is rude to interrupt a meeting with such esteemed guests, and only I, as the Captain, have the authority to speak on behalf of the Kingsguard.”

Higgs’s shoulders sagged, and Tom could see the disappointment and shame contorting her face, changing her usually defiant smirk into a pained look. Just as she turned to walk away, Star stood up.

“I appreciate your concern for rules, Captain Andrew,” she said, sounding far older and wiser than an eighteen-year-old, “but the safety of my kingdom outweighs decorum. Please tell me what’s going on, Vice Captain Higgs.”

The knight flashed the queen an appreciative smile and said, “We were ambushed by highwaymen on the Southern Road, and before I hear any criticism, they weren’t normal robbers, Your Majesty. They functioned like a trained militia and gave us a hell of a time. I nearly lost two of my best warriors. We need to deal with them swiftly before they negatively affect trade and travelers.”

The royals grew antsy again, and Tom heard them discussing whether or not they should put tariffs on goods traveling to and from the Southern Wilds, the loose confederation of isolated Mewman and Monster towns that fell under the jurisdiction of the Butterfly royal family. _I swear all you guys think about is money_ , Tom suppressed a growl in his throat. The people of the Southern Wilds needed a solution, not punishment for something out of their control.

“I bet it’s those Monster separatists at it again.” Lord Etheria’s accusation sailed above the noise. “There’s always been holdouts around the Musty Mountains.”

“Actually, Your Grace, the highwaymen were Mewman,” Higgs corrected her. “There wasn’t a Monster among them.”

“And it doesn’t matter what they were,” Star added. “They could be penguins for all I care—any threat to my kingdom is one that must be dealt with immediately. Thank you, Vice Captain Higgs for your bravery, I will see to this personally.”

“You could always send me and my squad, Your Majesty,” Captain Andrew said hastily. “We’re ready to defend Mewni at your command.”

“I appreciate your loyalty, Captain, but as the Mother of Mewni and her Royal Protector, I must be the first one out there defending my kingdom. Prince Thomas, are you ready for another quest?”

 _Finally, some action!_ He smirked, crossing his arms. “You know I am, Your Majesty.”

“How about you, Kelly and Jackie?”

“Count me in!” Kelly replied. “Sounds like you’ll need my tracking expertise.”

Jackie, however, seemed less enthusiastic and she leaned back in her chair. “I’ve got a research paper to finish, so sadly, I’m out. But how about I send Janna in my place instead? When’s the last time she’s gone on a quest?”

Tom’s heart skipped a beat at the thought of being out in the Mewnian countryside with her, and he purred softly, imagining cozy nights by campfires and inside cramped tents. It would be like the old days when they were following the Blood Moon to find Star and Marco. He couldn’t wait!

 _Ready to go on a quest with me?_ He slipped his phone out of his suit jacket and sent a text.

 _K_ , she replied, making him scowl.

 _Is something wrong?_ He typed the message but didn’t send it, erasing it because it sounded too clingy in his head. Things had been weird between them for the past week. She hardly answered his calls and replied with short, one-word messages, usually conveying that she was _fine_ or _good_. Tom tried not to worry—Janna was a busy college student—but something troubled him this time. It kept him up at night, making him toss and turn under his sheets, nagging his mind and haunting his nightmares. _Don’t forget about me_ , a voice called to him, one that was familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. A voice that almost sounded like his own. It was nothing… _right?_

“Good idea,” Star said. “We’ll prepare to leave immediately.”

“But what about Captain Seahorse’s report?” Lord Heartrude Butterfly asked, pretending to sound incredulous. “He must have worked very hard on his slideshow.”

The queen rolled her eyes. “If you wanna sit here and discuss mirrors, then so be it, but I have a kingdom to save. I call this meeting adjourned.”

The Butterfly lord fumed in his chair, but no one challenged Star’s decision on Seahorse’s speech; many, in fact, were secretly relieved, though they tried to hide it for the sake of decorum. Tom, on the other hand, burst from his seat and began heading to the carriage parked outside the castle. Perhaps, he would follow in his ancestor’s footsteps and become a useful prince, one worthy of tales.

 _Don’t forget about me_ …

He saw the Blood Moon rise out of the southern sky, against the motion of the heavens, and shuddered, remembering the last time it called to him all those years ago.

* * *

By the time Tom returned to Mewni, leading two of the best deadhorse mares from his father’s stable, the late winter sun was already waning, sinking into the western hills beyond the royal Butterfly Stables, turning the sky a burnished gold. There was a crisp chill in the air, one Tom hardly felt thanks to his demon blood, but he tasted the wildness it brought with it from the south: icy rivers, forests full of beasts, cold-splintered stones. It cut through the warm mustiness from the stables where the stable boys spent more times dawdling than shoveling the soiled hay at their boots. _Never send teenagers to do a man’s job_ , Tom rolled his eyes, remembering his own lazy days as a spoiled fifteen-year-old. They would learn hard lessons from growing up, lessons that changed him from disgruntled oaf to a noble prince.

In the adjacent paddock where the gelding grazed separately from the mares and stallions, Star, Kelly, and Marco gathered around with their mounts and gear, sipping on fresh cups of hot chocolate. They huddled together in a rough triangle, standing so closely that their thick coats flattened. As Tom drew near, he caught a snippet of Kelly promising to take the twins on a month-long hunting trip around Mewni, teaching them everything she knew about surviving in the wild. The pride in her voice made his tail flick in amusement. There was once a time where Star’s pregnancy would’ve spawned the next great Battle of the Butterflys between Star and Kelly, but time had healed jealousy’s wounds, allowing the queen and warrior to become friends rather than rivals.

“But Kelly,” Marco objected, “that’s way too dangerous, and going on a month-long quest would interfere with school.”

“School?” Kelly scoffed. “What’s so great about sitting inside and getting lectured to death? Experience is the best teacher.”

“No, it’s not,” he said. “You need a foundation before running out into the world and experiencing things. Where would humanity be without reading, writing, math, history, science, and art?”

Star rolled her eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic, Marco. It’s not like Mewmans aren’t educated—we just don’t have formal schooling. The twins are royalty. They’ll have tutors that’ll teach them all of the boring stuff along with combat, riding, manners—my least favorite subject—and magic. Practical stuff. You need that more than _geometry_.”

“Pythagoras is important.”

“Not as important as knowing how to address members of the royal court and saddling a warnicorn,” Tom said gently, joining the conversation. “The twins aren’t normal babies, Marco; they’re Mewni’s future and everything they learn must prepare them to rule. Starship and I know that better than anyone else. Unless Earth schools have added sword polishing to the curriculum, the twins will do best learning here on Mewni.”

Tom expected the advice to be reassuring—the twins would receive an education better suited to their needs—but Marco dropped his gaze to his snow-crusted sneakers while Kelly and Star continued to discuss whether or not the twins should learn hunting or tracking first. _It must be hard for him to accept that his kids are only_ half _-human_ , Tom took a sip of hot chocolate offered him by a groom. Marrying someone from another group required understanding and having a child with a royal demanded sacrifice. The twins’ Butterfly blood would manifest the strongest, probably erasing any human influence from Marco, and it had to be this way for Mewni to survive. The dimension needed a magical ruler to balance the different kingdoms and protect them from supernatural dangers. That was the part of perpetuating a royal bloodline that was non negotiable. _It’ll be like that with my own children too_ , Tom sighed, knowing the long road ahead of him and Janna one day. Was she ready to raise a Lucitor prince, the future King of the Underworld?

“What are you complaining about, Diaz? You never finished high school,” Janna sneered, emerging from a portal of purple flame.

“It wasn’t my choice not to,” he muttered, making Star scowl.

 _We haven’t even left yet, and things are getting awkward_ , Tom shook his head, but his friends’ spat barely depressed his mood now that Janna was here. He purred loudly enough for Star and Kelly to notice, but he ignored their snickering and pulled his girlfriend in close, bending to bury his nose into her raven-black hair. It was soft and sweet, smelling of the lavender shampoo and conditioner she pretended to hate but used because he enjoyed the scent. She ruined flowers for him. When she looked up at him, he became lost in the depth of her brown eyes, remembering the secret nights spent together in the Underworld, dreading the Brightening that came each morning and forced them back into the separate spheres. He wished he could turn back the time to when they were young lovers, when they had the freedom to explore the universe together before royal duties and school intervened. Maybe this quest would rekindle that spark.

“It’s been a while, beautiful,” Tom murmured, giving her a kiss.

“Yes, it has been,” she said rather dryly. “Surprised you’re bringing me along this time.”

He noted the venom in her voice but chalked it up to pre-quest nerves than an attack on him. They hadn’t seen each other since Stump Day, and with the news of the highwaymen hanging over Mewni, it was easy to be tense. Star unhitched Sir Runs-A-Lot, finished lashing her belongings to his saddle, and settled onto his silver back, signaling that it was time to go. Marco followed behind her on Sol, and Kelly on Cloverheart, a green Woollit shag-horse whose mane dripped to the end of the mare’s nose. Tom led Bloodlust, the red deadhorse to Janna, and selected the black one, Night Terror, for himself. They gathered around while Star created a portal to the Southern Wilds, far beyond the outer edge of the Butterfly Kingdom proper. They entered a world vastly different from the castle, dominated by snow, darkness, and towering trees. Moonlight weakly filtered through the heavy pine boughs above, but it was the snow that provided enough light for the warnicorns to see as they trotted down a narrow deer trail. The quick muffling of their hooves provided the only noise in the quiet forest.

Tom dropped back to check on Janna, who lagged behind the group. “Are you okay?” he asked. “You look awfully cold.”

She shrugged under her dark denim jacket, rustling the various patches ironed onto the sleeves. “Feels fine to me,” she said, her voice tense and heavy.

“If you say so,” he said. “It’s just Star, Marco, and Kelly are practically prepared for the Musty Mountains, and I wanna make sure you don’t catch a cold.”

“I’m fine, _geez!_ ”

Her rebuke echoed through the forest, causing Star and the others to pause and stare at them. For a split second, for a moment so fleeting, Tom thought he’d mistaken, her eyes flashed red, red like the fire of the Underworld.

Star intervened, riding her gelding between them. “Okay, I think this is a great time to run through the plan. As much as I’d love to spend a few weeks conducting a thorough search, the kingdom needs me home as soon as possible,” she said sadly, resigned to her duty as queen, “so Marco had a great idea: we split into two groups. One group will be tasked with investigative work in the towns, and the other will try to track the highwaymen down directly—maybe even engage them a little. I want to be back in about three days, though we can take more time if needed, sound good?”

When everyone nodded, she continued, “Alright, so Team One, my investigative Gold Team, will be Kelly, Marco, and me. Silver Team will be Janna and—”

“Wait,” Janna interrupted. “I—I’d rather be on Gold Team. Can’t Marco or Kelly go with Tom?”

“ _Why?_ ” Tom spat. “What the hell is going on, Janna? You’ve never acted like this around me, and I’m worried.”

“It’s none of your business,” she snapped. “Maybe I wanna quest with someone else for a change.”

“I’m your _boyfriend_ , Janna! Your business is _my_ business. Would it make sense for Star and Marco to randomly split up during a quest?” It took all of his strength to contain his anger, which threatened to rage like an inferno, not specifically at her but at the circumstances that had torn them apart. “What on Mewni is going on that you can’t tell me?”

Janna bit her lip and sighed. “I don’t wanna do this here, Tom…I really don’t.”

“Don’t wanna do what?”

“But I’m tired of being excluded from your royal life. I’m powerful and capable and smart enough to be the Princess of the Underworld, but you keep dragging your feet on this! I’m not waiting around forever.”

“No…” Tom’s voice was hardly above a whisper and deathly still. “You can’t leave me. It’s not like this is going to last forever, Janna…I—I…” His skin trembled, sharp with needling pain that felt as if tiny claws raked against his flesh. _Cold_. He felt truly cold for the first time in his entire life as the fire in his belly went out. “Janna, please…” he pleaded.

“You act like you’re ashamed of me. That I’ll embarrass you and your purebred family because I’m a human. Is that what it is, Tom? And if not, what’re you waiting for? You know there’s never going to be a time when your bigoted family accepts me.”

By now, she was crying, her tears freezing on her reddened cheeks, but Tom was too frozen in place to do anything. She was right, and he hated that, knowing that his attempts to keep her safe had brought them to this point.

Janna took in a ragged breath and rode her horse to the other side of the path. “Consider this your ultimatum. Star says we have three days for this quest, and that’s how long I’m giving you.”

Kelly and Marco looked on, horrified, but Star sighed. “Alright, change of plan,” she said, trying to remain collected. “Janna, you go with Kelly and Marco. I’ll go with Tom. Let’s…let’s just head to our posts and hope for a productive day tomorrow.”

She shared a brief glance with Marco and led Tom south on the logging road, into the darkness of the forest now set ablaze by the Blood Moon.

_Why don’t you know me?_

Tom looked up and spied a figure watching him from the shadows with baleful red eyes. Eyes that were his own.


End file.
